After Death He Did Not Die: An Examination of Palestrina's Continuing Legacy

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina’s reputation has been maintained throughout music history. During Palestrina’s life, the Council of Trent made reforms to the requirements for church music. The most pertinent requirement for Palestrina’s lasting reputation was the need for intelligible text in a polyphonic setting, which he successfully accomplished in his Missa Papae Marcelli. After his death, the legend that Palestrina had single handedly saved church music spread, causing his fame to grow. Also contributing to his continued reputation was Johann Fux’s widely used treatise on counterpoint, Gradus ad Parnassum, which was heavily influenced by Palestrina’s compositional style. Through the treatise, Palestrina continued to have an influence on composition long after his death. Because of the credit he received for saving church music and the influence of his compositions upon Fux’s treatise Gradus ad Parnassum, Palestrina’s name has remained a part of music history from his death until now.