Polyphonic Mass music

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Hello I started listening to Polyphonic Mass music and I really enjoy it however I don’t know too much about it. I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations of where I should start with listening and and where I can learn more about it.
 
It would be remiss of me not to share this wonderful piece by Palestrina, especially as it’s perfect for Lent:

 
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“Crucifixus” by Lotti. Amazing piece, especially for Good Friday.
 
This is kind of an unusual question for several reasons.

First, most all modern harmonic music is still influenced by polyphony, which means “at the same time”; but, second, when it comes to more traditional-minded Catholics, they usually like non-polyphonic music.

Gregorian Chant is mostly non-polyphonic. It’s monophonic, which means one note at a time, and it commonly called “plainchant”.

So - if you are looking at ancient music, and yet want to listen to polyphonic music - you aren’t really speaking about Gregorian chants.

Look to music by Palestrina and Josquin de Prez and their contemporaries - also bearing in mind there were secular artists, too.

Polyphony continued up to the common practice era through Bach, Mozart and Beethoven and still exists today. So there’s really no stopping point to it.

Just make sure to discern between the styles of plainchant, polyphony, and harmony .

Also, you might want to include “counterpoint” in your searches, as counterpoint is the theory upon which polyphony is really built (as opposed to something strictly harmonic per se).
 
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This is a Marian piece, so it is different in tone than the Lenten-type pieces, but it is breathtakingly beautiful. It was also written in just the past few years, so you might be interested that beautiful sacred music like this is still being written. I don’t know if it counts as polyphony exactly, but if you like polyphony, you will like this:
Ave Generosa by Ola Gjielo, a Norwegian composer.

 
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“Christus Factus Est” by Bruckner. A perfect piece for Passion Sunday or any time in Lent. This is a later example, as Bruckner wrote in the 1800s, but you will love this one.


Christ became obedient for us unto death
Even the death of the cross
Wherefore God also hath exalted Him
And hath given him a name
Which is above every name
 
Tu Pauperum Refugium by Josquin des Prez


Thou art the refuge of the poor,
remedy for afflictions, hope of exiles,
strength of those who labor,
way for the wandering, truth and life.
And now, Redeemer, Lord,
in thee alone I take refuge;
thee, true God, I adore, in thee I hope,
in thee I confide, my salvation, O Jesus Christ.
Help me, lest my soul
ever sleep in death.
 
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Palestrina and Thomas Tallis is come to mind. Also Thomas Luis Victoria. You may like Monteverdi’s Vespers for the Virgin Mary.
 
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Most of the later Medieval and Renaissance sacred music will likely be polyphonic.

This may sound odd, but if you find a music history text, such as The Enjoyment of Music, they may have some good examples. Music history includes Medieval and Renaissance sacred music so they’ll have some representative works.
 
Greetings.

I would recommend Mozart’s coronation mass. It is objectively glorious, especially the Credo and the Gloria.

Here is a playlist of all the parts:
 
Here are three suggestions:

• Victoria: Requiem – for its emotional content.

• Robert Carver: Mass Dum Sacrum Mysterium

• Lassus: Lagrime di San Pietro
 
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