Kyrie from "Missa Papae Marcelli"
(Pope Marcellus Mass)
Listening Guide
Composer: Giovanni Pieruigi da Palestrina (1525–1594)
Composition: "Missa Papae Marcelli" (Pope Marcellus Mass)- 1. Kyrie
Date: c. 1562
Genre: Choral, Kyrie of Mass
Form: through-composed (without repetition in the form of verses, stanzas, or strophes) in sections
Nature of Text: Greek Text: Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison,
English Translation: Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy,
Performing Forces: Vocal ensemble; six voice parts
What we want you to remember about this composition:
- Listen to the polyphony and how the voices move predominantly stepwise after a leap upward. After initial voice begins the piece, the other voices enter imitating the initial melody and then continue to weave the voices as more enter. Palestrina's mass would come to represent proper counterpoint/polyphony and become the standard for years to come.
Other things to listen for:
- Even though the voices overlap in polyphony, the text is easily understood. The masses were written as to bring out the text and make it simple to understand. The significance of the text is brought out and easily understood.
Timing
Timing
Performing Forces, Melody, and Texture
Performing Forces, Melody, and Texture
Text and Form:
Text and Form: