This is the legend repeated by various authors, and even made into an operatic plot in the early part of this century! According to this myth, the members of the Council of Trent were poised on the brink of banning polyphonic music in the church.

It was only after hearing a piece by Palestrina (often said to be the Pope Marcellus Mass) that they relented. While the story is not true, it reflects a real aspect of Palestrina's life: his commitment to sacred music and his keen interest in satisfying the desires of church leaders in the sixteenth century. His Pope Marcellus Mass is justifiably held up as the perfect example of Counter Reformation style.

Palestrina's career likewise reflects his commitment to the music of the church. He was born in the small town of Palestrina (outside of Rome) and received his early training and spent the great majority of his career in various churches in Rome, including the Pope's chapel.

His music was universally recognized as a model of clarity and balance, and theorists of the time constantly pointed to his pieces to illustrate their points. While he did write some secular madrigals, later in his life he renounced them (saying that he "blushed and grieved" over them) and began writing "spiritual madrigals" -- pieces in the lighter style of the madrigal without the taint of a secular text.

We can hear all these elements when we listen to Palestrina's music. All the melodies within the contrapuntal web he creates are beautiful, balanced and comfortable for the singer.

The text is easy to understand, and the syllables of the words almost always receive the proper stress and length. Finally, the overall sound is always pleasing and varied. Palestrina treats the various combinations of high and low voices in the same way that an orchestral composer treats the instruments, allowing us to hear a wide variety of colors within a single piece.

Palestrina's music is often considered "perfect" sacred music and it is no surprise that his contemporaries often called him "The Prince of Music." http://www.essentialsofmusic.com