Publish or perish? Palestrina and print culture in 16th-century Italy
Jane A. Bernstein is the Austin Fletcher Professor of Music at Tufts University. She is currently working on a book about music print culture in 16th-century Rome. jane.bernstein{at}tufts.edu
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Abstract |
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In 1554 Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina had his earliest edition, the Missarum liber primus, printed in Rome. This sumptuous folio choirbook was dedicated to his patron, Pope Julius III. This publication, along with his Primo libro di madrigali a quatro voce of 1555, marked an auspicious publishing debut for the composer. Yet for the next 17 years, Palestrina brought out only a handful of publications, while the works of his distinguished contemporary Orlando di Lasso were printed in great profusion. It was not until some 20 years later, in the 1570s, that Palestrina's music, particularly his sacred works, emerged with more frequency from Roman and Venetian presses. Furthermore, it appears that the Roman composer did not gain widespread recognition until his twilight years, when Venetian editions of his sacred music began to appear in rapid succession.
Why were so few of Palestrina's works published during the prime of his life? Why did he wait so long to see his music in print? What role did he play in the dissemination of his music? This study will address these issues by examining the relationship between the composer, his music printers, and his patrons. In particular, it will explore the differences between the printing industries of 16th-century Rome and Venice, and what influence this may have had on the transmission of Palestrina's music and the reputation of the composer.
Key Words: Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina • music printing • Pope Julius III • Orlando di Lasso
A preliminary version of this essay was presented at the III convegno internazionale di studi in occasione del IV centenario della morte di Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, October, 1994, and appears as ‘The publishing of Palestrina's music in sixteenth-century Rome and Venice’, in Palestrina e l'Europa: Atti del III Convegno internazionale di studi (Palestrina, 6-9 ottobre 1994), ed. G. Rostirolla, S. Soldati and E. Zomparelli (Palestrina, 2006), pp.1075-87.