ABSTRACT
Two pieces in four-voice counterpoint are given on the following pages. These are written in short score to enable you to play them easily on the piano or organ. The first, by Palestrina, is a section from the Credo of his famous Pope Marcellus Mass. This mass is composed in six-voice counterpoint, but, like the Benedictus, the section beginning with the words “He was crucified . . . ” is generally set for fewer voices (by tradition). The particular quality of this piece is noticeably different from the other music of the Roman school that we have so far considered. Rather than the continuous flow due to overlapping phrases, this piece is comprised of many clearly defined phrases, some as short as three measures and none longer than eight. With the exception of the last phrase, the words are not repeated-in fact, each voice is not necessarily given the complete text. In the case of the creed, owing both to its length and to its doctrinaire phraseology, the composer must seek to get through the words efficiently without extending the piece unduly. Play through this piece several times until its sound is thoroughly familiar to you.
