Palestrina style

Palestrina style refers to the musical approach developed by the Renaissance composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. It emphasizes clarity of text and smooth, flowing melodies, with careful balancing of consonance and dissonance. The style features often polyphonic (multi-voice) choral music with voices that move gently and independently, yet harmonize in a way that highlights the written words. This approach aims for purity and spirituality, producing music suitable for religious worship where the text remains understandable and the sound is harmonious and serene.