Strolling down Memory Lane, we come across the gorgeous Palestrina and his great work from one great mass (Gloria, Kyrie, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei) and other hidden treasures like “O Bone Jesu,” and “Confitemini Domino.” The whole collection on the album by the Sistine Chapel choir is simply stunning. The “Kyrie” is such a beautiful harmonic demonstration of what you do in the world of harmony. Pleasurable thirds and fifths is the game. Kyrie is a plea of forgiveness so these movements are usually a bit more sad, because of sin or fault that the people have done.
The Gloria is a golden affair that gives a sunrise gospel shine to the glory of God. The harmonies throughout. I love how it goes from major to minor and back again and the frequent use of 6-4 chords (a theory term). I love the way the voices fill the hall beautifully.
The Sanctus is comfort in God for the weary soul. It lifts you up and takes you away from your struggles and helps focus on the beauty of God and the beauty of life. It is the kind of music that you would sing if you were in a high school or college choir. It has points where it dips into the minor key but only for just a second. Then, it’s back to the major, the happy key as praise to God.
The Agnus Dei is full color. That’s all that I can describe about it. It’s such a beautiful culmination piece. If you need a collection of pieces to glorify God on your own, then this is the collection for you. The harmony of the 6-3 and 6-4 chords in the old English traditions is such a sweet beauty that is lost in music today.
The overall working of Palestrina’s religious work takes top form in that it’s very sweet to the ear, very easy to handle and very easy to sing along (in harmony or solo) to. If you want a composer who’s not selling out for money (in those days, they really didn’t write for money. They wrote for a court of a king). This is in the17th Century around when the editions and translations of the Bible were starting to be written. So, the music would very often be fit for the king and the religious traditions that ensued at the time.
