Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina Palestrina, Giovanni Pierluigi
da (jōvänˈnē pyārlōēˈjē päˌlāstrēˈnä) [key], c.1525–1594,
Italian composer whose family name was Pierluigi; b. Palestrina,
from which he took his name. Palestrina represents with Lasso
the culmination of Renaissance music. In 1544 he was appointed
organist at the cathedral in his native town. In 1550 the bishop
of Palestrina became Pope Julius III and appointed (1551)
Palestrina master of the Julian Chapel Choir. Palestrina's first
book of masses appeared in 1554, dedicated to the pope. From
1555 to 1560 he was choirmaster of the Cathedral of St. John
Lateran, for which he wrote his Lamentations, and from 1561 to
1566 he was choirmaster of Saint Mary Major. After several years
in the private service of Ippolito II, Cardinal d'Este, he
returned in 1571 to the Vatican to resume leadership of the
Julian Chapel Choir. He was undisputed master of the mass, of
which he wrote 105 for four, five, six, and eight voice parts.
Best known is his Missa Papae