PALESTRINA FOR ALL

This new book explores the music of the great composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594), its surrounding history and still unfolding potential.  It follows the music from love poetry, through changing events in the Church Year, to the composer's record-breaking 104 Mass settings, uncovering many neglected treasures on the way.  Its approach is accessible and largely non-technical.  There is a focus on relationships with text, belief and ceremony, the individual melodic lines, and the richly interweaving voice parts (cantus, alto, tenor, bass).  Not least, the author explores diverse ways – emotional, devotional, imaginative – of enjoying and responding to the music. 


Here is music which excels in subtle differentiation, equality, consonance and cordiality between the voice parts.  Much of it can be interpreted as symbolising ideal community and core beliefs about the eternal God.  There is a striking avoidance of tight metricality, mighty forces, tumult or disjunction.  The music's leading values are those of clarity, balance, affectionate concord and graceful flowingness. 


'Historian Jonathan Boswell has brought a lifetime's fascination with the life and music of Palestrina to bear in a new book, the first accessible general guide in English to appear for several decades' (Early Music Today, news, June 2019).



'Worthy of its title ...well-chosen examples ...in every way a suitable introduction for music lovers of all descriptions' (Tamesis).



'Anyone interested in exploring Palestrina should start with this account ...I very much applaud the author' (Peter Phillips, The Tallis Scholars).



'So refreshing, so personal, so illuminating ...I loved this book' (Harry Christophers, The Sixteen).



'A very valuable contribution to the field, and it will immensely enrich all those who engage with it'  (Chiara Bertoglio, Professor of Musicology, University of Bologna). 


'Admirably illuminates the fervent response of a great musical poet to the emotion and theology of the sacred texts and liturgy' (Patrick Russill, Royal College of Music and The London Oratory)



'A much needed book … it's first class' (Andrew Carwood, St Paul's Cathedral and The Cardinall's Musick).





Table of contents (176 pages). 

1 – Prince of music ? 

2 -  Palestrina in his own time

3 -  Love poetry and devotional diversities

4 – Sorrow, suffering, hope and glory

5 – A music of amity and ideal community

6 – 'The quality of mercy': Kyrie eleison

7 – Gloria and Credo 

8 – Controversies, choirs, conductors

9 –  Sounding the mystery: Sanctus and Benedictus 

10 – Peace and eternity: Agnus Dei 

Select bibliography

Index of works referred to   





Jonathan Boswell is a general historian whose projects have repeatedly defied narrow specialisation.  Following periods in industry he became an academic, working successively at The City University Business School, St Antony's College Oxford, and the Von Hugel Institute, St Edmund's College, Cambridge.  He has published books on business history and social ideas. 


Music has been a lifelong passion.  A lover of Palestrina's music since early manhood, Jonathan later researched it exhaustively and sang large quantities of it in early music choral groups.  He loves walking, TV, and chatting about books and current affairs.  He lives with his wife in North London.  For more about Jonathan and Palestrina for All visit www.jonathanboswell.co.uk