Today we begin our perusal of the sacred repertoire of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, the greatest Italian composer of the 16th century, whose fame has never been extinguished. He came to Rome in 1537, when he began as a cantor at Santa Maria Maggiore, and 14 years later he was in the service of Pope Julius III, who was also from Palestrina.
Today, we sample his Missa nigra sum, a Mass which takes its name from a verse of the Canticle of Canticles, which the Fathers of the Church put in the mouth of Holy Mother Church, in Her dialogue with Christ Her Bridegroom.
This performance is by the Tallis Scholars, with Peter Philips directing.
FromRome.Info features at 5 P.M. daily, Rome time, a selection of sacred music for the edification of our readers, so that they can better grasp how contrary to the very nature of Catholic liturgy were the so called “reforms” of Vatican II.
