Roman School
Compositional tradition from the mid-16th century centerd on Palestrina, marked by a strict a cappella church style.
What it means
The Roman School refers to a line of composers of Catholic church music active in Rome from the mid-16th century onward, who cultivated a clear, well-balanced vocal style sung mainly a cappella. Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina above all gave the school its name and its defining style.
Musical use
The style of the Roman School arose in the context of the Council of Trent, which called for easily understood, text-focused church music, and later became the model for a strict compositional method of its own, the so-called Palestrina style. Composers associated with the Roman School include, besides Palestrina, Tomás Luis de Victoria and members of the following generations. The Roman School is distinct from the contemporary Venetian School, which cultivated a more splendid, colorful style using multiple choirs and instrumental accompaniment.
Performance practice
Sing works of the Roman School with clear, even voice leading and restrained vibrato, so that the polyphonic part-writing and the clarity of the text remain in the foreground.