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Palestrina: Soul of Rome Lionheart Koch Intl. Classics (LMP 0110-036) The liturgical compositions of Giovanni Pierluigi di Palestrina (1525-1594) are exquisitely rendered on this CD by the vocal performance group Lionheart. Featuring hymns, motets, and sections drawn from the more than 100 masses composed by Palestrina, this CD showcases the distinctive chant and polyphonic styles for which he was known. Rather than composing in a strict Gregorian style, where melodies were repeated with each successive verse, Palestrina often composed his works in imitative counterpoint, in which voices embellished upon a theme that had been established by two voices singing a standard verse, such as a fragment or leitmotiv derived from an old Roman chant or Greco-Roman sources. One of the most extraordinary features of the CD is the way in which each voice harmonizes with the others, weaving a tapestry of sound, each note embroidering a different pattern yet all contributing to a magnificent whole. The "Kyrie," "Credo," and "Agnus Dei," all taken from a mass composed for lesser double feast days, reflect this particularly well. These pieces also afford the listener a rare opportunity to hear a mass sung in counterpoint (since most masses of the period were normally sung entirely in plainchant). Gorgeously recorded and featuring liner notes listing the verses for each hymn, Soul of Rome displays Palestrina's innovative use of the age-old liturgical forms in order to soothe souls during the turbulent times of the Counter-Reformation. Similarly, Lionheart's haunting sound will soothe modern minds long after the CD has finished . — Kris Stanich

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