In light of these restrictions on music, composers such as Palestrina and Kerle wrote to reconcile, to some extent, the polyphonic musical expression.
It is difficult to avoid the legend of Italian composer Palestrina when discussing the tension between the Council of Trent and their disapproval of polyphonic music. Each text featuring the Council of Trent and church music makes mention to Palestrina’s work, Pope Marcellus Mass without fail, which is a clear indication that there is great impact due to its composition. Source after source records that despite being a mass written for six voices, the piece captures the spiritual reverence and clarity that was acceptable to that of the Council. The so called legend goes to say that this work alone was the savior to save all polyphonic music from “condemnation”. Because Palestrina was the leading Italian composer of church music at this time he was, as relating to the earlier passage by the Pope Gregory XIII, moved to revise all the old chant books and remove them from the things that the Council found unruly.
It is no surprise that Palestrina’s work would fit in conjunction with the high standard of purity and spiritual reverence because his compositions go to show an on going style that is precisely described. Palestrina style, as illustrated by Burkholder, is very elegant and pure despite the usage of different textures and rhythmic repertoire. With tactful and masterful working of sonority, Palestrina is capable of capturing musical beauty in a clear and serene way. He used techniques such as putting emphasis on words to confront the disarray about unintelligible texts, as well as smooth motion of diatonic lines to hide the face of the dissonances to make a sound pleasing to the liturgically accustomed.
I found this piece on Youtube created by a student at Mississippi State University. The creator describes the clip as, "a brief video detailing the life of Palestrina and the Benedictus from the Pope Marcellus Mass." I found it clever, informative, as well as an entertaining way to put together information. To give you a little guidance through this 10 minute clip, I have the following mark up.