Composer of the Week

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c.1525-1594)


Listen Later

Donald Macleod investigates the life of a Renaissance genius, Giovanni da Palestrina

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c.1525-1594) was one of the most influential composers in European classical music. With his countless masses, motets and madrigals, infused with a deep sense of spirituality and musical beauty, Palestrina was named the 'Saviour of Church Music' at a revolutionary time when Rome was rewriting the rules of music composition. But what do we know about this mysterious character, between historical fact and hagiographic myth? Donald Macleod follows the clues, to try and reconstruct the story of a fascinating composer, on the (approximately) 500th anniversary of his birth.

Music Featured:

Sicut cervus

Laudate pueri
Pueri hebraeorum (arr for dobro)
Puer qui natus est
Missa Assumpta est Maria (excerpt)
Josquin des Prez: O virgo prudentissima
Josquin des Prez: Fortuna d’un gran tempo
Costanzo Festa: Sancta Maria succurre miseris
Sacred Madrigals, Book 2, Città di Dio
Ricercar del primo tuono
Magnificat Primi toni
Missa Ecce sacerdos magnus (Sanctus)
Quam pulchri sunt gressus tui
Pulchra es, amica mea (arr Volbers for recorder ensemble)
Missa Papae Marcelli (excerpt)
Vergine bella… Vergine saggia…
Vestiva i colli
Sabbato Sancto: Lectio III, Incipit oratio Ieremiae prophetae
Motecta festorum totius anni cum Communi Sanctorum – liber primus
Misso Herodes
Nicola Vicentino: Jerusalem convertere
Cristóbal de Morales: Gaude et laetare, Ferrariensis civitas
Motecta festorum totius anni cum Communi Sanctorum (Fuit homo missus a Deo)
Missa Papae Marcelli (Sanctus)
Ricercar del secondo tuono
Missa sine nomine a 6 arr Johann Sebastian Bach
L'homme armé (exceprt)
Adoramus te Christe arr Leopold Stokowski for orchestra
O admirabile commercium
Missa Ut re mi fa sol la (excerpt)
Io son ferito (instrumental version)
Missa Brevis (excerpt)
Canite tuba (arr for brass ensemble)
Deh hor foss’io col vago della luna (on a text by Petrarch)
Offertoria totius anni (Jubilate Deo) arr A. Frackenpohl for brass ensemble
Stabat Mater
Missa pro defunctis (Sanctus-Benedictus)
First Book of Madrigals (Sestina. Mai fu piu crud’o spietata morte)
Ad te levavi
Johann Joseph Fux: Gradus ad Parnassum (Fugue)
Francesco Soriano: Alpha à 6
Canticum Canticorum (Osculetur me osculo oris sui)
Missa Memor esto verbi tui a 5 (Credo)
Missa Cantantibus organis (from the motet Cantantibus Organis by Palestrina)
Sacred Madrigals, Book 2 (E questo spirto)
Libera me Domine
Ave Maria

Presented by Donald Macleod

Produced by Julien Rosa for BBC Audio Wales & West

For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c.1525-1594) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002d7cq

And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Composer of the WeekBy BBC Radio 3

  • 2
  • 2
  • 2
  • 2
  • 2

2

228 ratings


More shows like Composer of the Week

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,695 Listeners

The LRB Podcast by The London Review of Books

The LRB Podcast

293 Listeners

From Our Own Correspondent by BBC Radio 4

From Our Own Correspondent

375 Listeners

More or Less by BBC Radio 4

More or Less

884 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,042 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,540 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,812 Listeners

In Our Time: History by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: History

1,883 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,841 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,050 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

514 Listeners

Last Word by BBC Radio 4

Last Word

48 Listeners

F1: Chequered Flag by BBC Radio 5 Live

F1: Chequered Flag

766 Listeners

Page 94: The Private Eye Podcast by Page 94: The Private Eye Podcast

Page 94: The Private Eye Podcast

357 Listeners

The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

The Life Scientific

249 Listeners

Start the Week by BBC Radio 4

Start the Week

160 Listeners

Record Review Podcast by BBC Radio 3

Record Review Podcast

47 Listeners

Private Passions by BBC Radio 3

Private Passions

44 Listeners

The Briefing Room by BBC Radio 4

The Briefing Room

69 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,153 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

761 Listeners

Cyber Hack by BBC World Service

Cyber Hack

1,636 Listeners

This Cultural Life by BBC Radio 4

This Cultural Life

113 Listeners

Past Present Future by David Runciman

Past Present Future

326 Listeners