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Comparing the styles of Palestrina and Victoria's masses

In this essay I will be comparing various aspects of Gloria, from Palestrina’s Pope Marcellus Mass, to other musical works such as Victoria’s O Magnum mysterium, Farmer’s Fair Phyllis, and Josquin’s Ave Maria...virgo serena. All of these pieces of music are prime examples of music from the Renaissance period, which was from 1450 to 1600. The Renaissance period differs from the medieval period because the music begins to focus more on human aspects and not so much on the superhuman and the Heavenly. Although the themes of these pieces are still very secular in text, they begin to apply them to everyday life and human emotions.
The Palestrina Mass was written in 1567, which is towards the end of the Renaissance period, and has features that are rather unique and different from many of the other Renaissance pieces, although many other aspects are quite similar. All of these pieces are performed by rather small choirs, but none of them are written with instrumental accomp...

Posted by: Carmen hershman

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