Acta Musicologica (1950)

36 The recently discovered Mantova Masses of Palestrina

The recently discovered Mantova Masses

Palestrina.
A provisional communication.
Knud Jeppesen (Aarhus)

Gaetano Cesari, the prominent Italian colleague, published, only a few years
before he died, an interesting communication: >>L'Archivio musicale di S.
Barbara in Mantova ed una messa di Guglielmo Gonzaga<< (Theodor Kroyer
Festschrift, 1933).
I learned from this that at least some parts of the famous music archives of
the previous ducal chapel of Mantova, S. Barbara, were still preserved. Cesari
wrote that part of it went to the library of the Liceo Musicale in Bologna,
another part to the Archivio Statale in Milan whence it was transfered to the
Library of the Conservatorio >>Guiseppe Verdi<< in the same city.
I made my researches at first in Bologna. But the catalogues of the Liceo
Musicale gave no information concerning this question, and neither the pre-
sent librarian, nor his still living predecessors did know anything about this.
Then I intended to go to Milan. But soon after we had the last war and the
Conservatory of M. was bombed and destroyed. Fortunately, the archives
were evacuated and are quite intact. In 1947 as I, first time after the war,
visited Milan, the archives were still evacuated, because the whole building
had to be completely rebuilt. Next time, a year ago, I had- no better luck, and
not until May this year did I succeed in getting admittance by special favour,
the archives being not as yet officially reopened.
The archives of S. Barbara consist of about 200 different manuscripts and
stamps. The whole collection was in 1850 by the Chapter of the Basilica sold
to a certain clerical, Don Giuseppe Greggiati, for the very modest amount of
500 lire. On this occasion an inventory was made out, which seems to contain
essentially the same items (only arranged in a somewhat different way) as
another list: Catalogo della Musica Antica da Chiese e Madrigali (Musica giai
della Cappella di S. Barbara in Mantova), which may be some decades younger
and is also to be found in the Library of the Conservatorio.
By far the most important part of this collection seems to me to be the
manuscript masses, forming a repertory, which is quite original and unknown
elsewhere.

These masses are, nearly without exceptions, written:

1) for five parts.
2) with themes lent from plainsong masses (missae chorales).
3) as alternatim masses (i. e. for antiphonal performance) only partially for
polyphonic choir, the missing links being probably intented for organ or for
unison gregorian chant.
 The recently discovered Mantova Masses of Palestrina 37

Here a list of these masses:

I. Missae in Duplicibus naioribus

1) Francisci Rovigi, Ms. 166, f. 1'-22 and MS. 127
2) Serenissimi (i. e. Guglielmo Gonzaga) MS. 7 a
3) Joannis Contini, MS. 40
4) Pauli Isnardi, MS. 90

II. Missae in Duplicibus minoribus

1) Joannis Prenestini, MS. 164, f. 1'-22
2) Joannis Prenestini, MS. 164, f. 23'-43
3) Julius Bruschus, MS. 34
4) Serenissimi (Gugl. Gonzaga), MS. 7 b
5) Jaches Wert, MS. 145
6) Joannis Contini, MS. 45
7) Pauli Isnardi, MS. 81

III. Missae in Festis B. M. V.

1) Joannis Prenestini, MS. 164, f. 44'-65

2) Joannis Prenestini, MS. 164, f. 66'-83
3) Joannis Prenestini, MS. 164, f. 84'-102
4) Nicolai Parme, MS. 123
5) Jaches Wert, MS. 143
6) Augusto Bonvicini, MS. 32
7) Joannis Contini, MS. 42

IV. Missae in Festis Apostolorum

1) Joannis Prenestini, MS. 166, f. 23'-43
2) Joannis Prenestini, MS. 166, f. 44'-63
3) Serenissimi (Gugl. Gonzaga), MS. 85
4) Guglielmi Textoris, MS. 136
5) Joannis Contini, MS. 41
6) Francesco Rovigo, MS. 129

V. Missae in Dominicis diebus

1) Joannis Jacobi Gastoldi, MS. 166, f. 64'-84 (cf. Messe a 5 et a 8 voci.
Libro 1. Venezia 1600)
2) Anonymous, MS. 14. No. 4
3) Jaco. Castrati, MS. 35
4) Alexandri Striggi, MS. 133 and 134
5) Francesco Rovigo, MS. 128
38 The recently discovered Mantova Masses of Palestrina

VI. Missae in Semiduplicibus maioribus

1) Joannis Prenestini, MS. 166, f. 85'-102
2) Joannis Prenestini, MS. 166, f. 103'-120
VII. Missae in Semiduplicibus minoribus
1) Julius Bruschus, MS. 174
2) Gul. Textoris, MS. 135

VIII. Missae in Simplicibus maioribus

1) Anonymous, MS. 180, No. 3

IX. Missae in Feriis per annum

1) Julii Bruschi: Die Lune No. 1
2) Jaches Wert: Die Martis No. 2
3) Francisci Rovigii: Die Mercurii No. 5 MS. 180
4) Joan. Jacobi Gastoldi: Die Jovis No. 6
5) Vincentii Suardi: Die Veneris No. 7
6) Paolo Pezzani: Die Saturni No. 8

X. Missa Angelorum
Paolo Isnardi, MS. 90

It is noteworthy that these composers - as far as they are known at all -

have been either members of the ducal chapel or at any rate had close con-
nection with the court of Mantova.
Francesco Rovigo lived from c. 1571-1591 in the service of the Dukes as
organist at S. Barbara, Giovanni Contino spent at least some years as choir-
master in Mantova, and also Giulio Brusco is mentioned as living in this city
(c. 1560 as choirmaster of S. Francesco) and also later he was connected with
the court. As to Jaches Wert, he was appointed choirmaster at S. Barbara in
1565 and died, still in the service of the Gonzagas, in 1596. Agostino Bonvicini
lived c. 1560-c. 1570 (but probably even later) as a singer of S. Barbara, and
also Guglielmo Testore was (c. 1570) mentioned as a member of the court
chapel, the leadership of which Gian Giacopo Gastoldi held from 1582-c.
1615. In a more peripheric touch with the Gonzagas seem Alesandro Striggio,
Nicolo Parma and Paolo Isnardi to have been. The first of them was a Man-
tuan nobleman and composer, who served at the court of his native town c.
1585 and died a few years later; the second was also a Mantuan and is known
to have applied to the Duke Vincenzo Gonzaga for a vacant canonicate in
1611; Isnardi, finally, lived as choirmaster at the cathedral of Ferrara and in
1568 dedicated the second book of his five-part madrigals to Duke Guglielmo
Gonzaga. Quite unknown are Jaco. Castrati (unless he might be identical with
 The recently discovered Mantova Masses of Palestrina 39

a certain Gioan Castrato mentioned in a letter from 1581 as former

in the service of the Gonzagas), Vincenzio Suardi and Paolo Pezzani.
Also Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, the most famous master of h
had very close relations to the Mantuan court, especially to Duke Gu
Thus in 1568 he was commissioned by the Duke to write a mass and from
until the death of Guglielmo (1587) was in active correspondence wi
The Duke himself was a skilful composer and is known to have sent his
to Palestrina for criticism, and 1583-84 the court negotiated with the R
master to get him to Mantova.
The most important part of this correspondence seems, however, to
letters written from October 1578 to March 1579 and concerning some
which Palestrina had to write on the initiative of the Duke. Unfortu
these letters are so vague and enigmatic in their expressions that it is,
very difficult to gather the real meaning from them. So much is, h
clear that P. in those years sent at least seven masses to Mantova. But it
dubious whether these masses were original polyphonic compositions
revisions of choral masses for the chapel of S. Barbara.
To this latter opinion inclines among others (and in a particularly rema
way) the German choralist R. Molitor (Die Nach-Tridentinische Choral-R
zu Rom. Bd. I-II, 1901-02). He founds this opinion on a passage in a
from 18th October 1578 sent to the Duke by Don Annibale Capello, t
tuan agent in Rome (Archivio di Stato di Mantova, Sezione Gonzaga,
-3-Busta 923) which runs as follows: M. Gio: da Palestrina non seru
per l'indispositione graue auuta di fresco la testa ne la uista, per esse
gran uolonta di seruir in quel modo che puo V. A. ha cominciato app
leuto lo Chirie et la Gloria della p(rima) messa et me le ha fatti sent
ueramente di gran suauith et leggiadrie. Et quando con buona gra(ti
potesse farlo hora che N. s. in San Pietro ha comandato che si canti con due
chori di xij per choro come ha trouato che ordino Giulio ij quando lascio per
tale effetto intrade bastanti a quel Capitolo et ha p(er) q(ue)sto ancho fatto
mandare via tutti i Cantori coniugati salvo lui per privilegio spetiale. Vor-
rebbe far anche le seconde parti et seruirsene nella detta Chiesa in molte
solennita in luogo dell'organo, perche afferma che nel uero. V. A. ha purgati
quei canti fermi di tutti i barbarismi et di tutte l'imperfettioni che ui erano.
Il che peroi non fara senza sua licenza, ma quando prima dalla debolezza gli
sara permesso, spiegara cio che ha fatto col liuto con tutto il suo studio ....
Molitor translates (Bd. I, p. 230): .... Eben hat unser Herr (der Papst) an-
geordnet, dass man in St. Peter in zwei aus je zwoilf Mitgliedern bestehenden
Chiiren singe. Er hat nimlich gefunden, dass schon Julius II diese Anordnung
getroffen und damals dem Kapitel die niitigen Einkiinfte zugewiesen und alle
verheirateten Stinger - ihn (Palestrina) allein ausgenommen - entlassen habe.
Nun bittet er (Palestrina) um den zweiten Teil (der canti fermi) und miichte
sie bei Feierlichkeiten in genannter Kirche anstatt der Orgel gebrauchen.
Denn er versichert, dass Ew. Hoheit in Wahrheit nun diese canti fermi er-
40 The recently discovered Mantova Masses of Palestrina

halten, rein von allen Barbarismen und Unvollkommenheiten, die darin w

Ich hoffe dass er dies nicht ohne Eure Erlaubnis thun wird. Sobald es ihm

seine Schwaiche erlaubt, wird er sich selbst iiber das erkliiren, was er
Fleisse auf seiner Laute gearbeitet hat.
This version has, indeed, several weak points: The most remarkable
seems to me to be that: le seconde parti is translated as singular in
plural. This term is certainly mysterious, but I think that Professo
Strunk has found the right way. In an acute essay: Guglielmo Conz
Palestrina's Missa Dominicalis (The Musical Quarterly, April 1947)
the following version of the above letter (p. 232): And now that His
has commanded that there are to be two choirs at St. Peter's, each choir of
twelve singers (for he has discovered that Julius II so ordered when he pro-
vided the chapter with revenues sufficient for this purpose), and had for this
reason also caused the dismissal of all married singers save only Palestrina by
special privilege, if with the gracious permission of Your Highness it may be
so, Palestrina wishes also to have the second parts and to use them in the
church in question instead of the organ on occasions of high solemnity, for he
affirms that Your Highness has in truth purged these plainsongs of all the
barbarisms and imperfections that they contained. I trust that he will not do
this without your permission. And as soon as his infirmity permits he will
work out what he has done on the lute with all possible care ....
Strunk derives from this that the masses which Palestrina was commissioned
to write were to be composed upon plainsongs sent to him by the Duke who
had revised them himself (or caused them to be revised) in conformity with
the taste of the time. Strunk further infers that these plainsongs were masses
and that Palestrina was to set only alternate lines of them, >>leaving the odd-
numbered lines of the Glorias and Credos to be chanted in unison by a second
choir, and that with this in view the Duke has sent him, not the complete
plainsongs, but only those parts of them upon which he was actually to
compose.<<
I am sure that Strunk is quite right in this interpretation of >>le seconde pa
And one should further be inclined to think that he was right in all t
deductions, when it now appears that a number of such polyphonic a
natim masses of Palestrina really still are preserved in the archives w
once belonged to S. Barbara.
Nevertheless I do not think this to be probable.
I should, however, postpone a more thorough discussion of these prob
until I - as I hope - shall be able to treat them more extensively, and
therefore here confine myself to pointing out some arguments, which
to make it evident that the masses in question can only have been unis
plainsong masses.
Both Strunk, Molitor and the other authors that have been occupied
these puzzling letters have argumented on the basis of a text publishe
A. Bertolotti, the former director of the Archivio Gonzaga in Mantov
 The recently discovered Mantova Masses of Palestrina 41

Musica in Mantova (1400-1600), Milano 1890, p. 52). This text is, how
not quite exact, and diverges at some not unessential points from t
ginal. Such a significant deviation is, e. g., that Bertolotti did omit the
far from the sentence: Vorebbe far anche le seconde parti et seruirs
detta chiesa ....

Strunk consequently translates: P. wishes also to have the

to use them in the church in question. But the original, in
P. wishes to do also the second parts and to use them in S.
indeed, makes a difference. It implies an activity of Palest
not appear from the text as given by Bertolotti. Strunk, who
the question here is about polyphonic masses, comments as
first time Palestrina was in a position to offer at S. Peter'
for antiphonal performance, the two choirs singing alterna
in unison. For festive use1) such a mass is obviously more a
in which the organ alternates with the unison chant. Recog
strina asks for >>the second parts in order that he may pe
himself.<<

But it is now clear that Palestrina did not wish to make use of
just in the form in which he got them from the Duke. He eith
set also the second parts polyphonically or to >>purify<< (revis
first of these possibilities does not seem very likely, for the f
1) The resolution of the Pope (Gregorius XIII) to which An
in his letter alludes (surely the bull from 1st August 1578) spe
letter in question of two distinct choirs.2)
The benefit to Palestrina as choirmaster of S. Pietro therefore
been that he now was able to perform such works, which requ
alternation, in a fitting manner.
But supposing with Strunk that P. had to work out the plainso
to him by the Duke, for five-part choir, why, just considerin
of his church, should he wish to set also the remaining parts
A such completed mass would, of course, not be particularly su
purpose. We can observe just this procedure in the Missa
Gastoldi written at first for S. Barbara as an alternatim m
later completed to a full mass and published in this form
for a single choir) in his first book of masses for five and eig
It seems more likely to me that the plainsongs were sent t

1) Strunk translates: in molte solennitd as: on occasion of high solem

translation, however, being: at many feasts (or: services).
2) ...... In ipsa autem Capella duodecim Cantores & duodecini Capellan
item magistros unum musicae, qui omnes ibi singulis diebus Horas Canon
ipsius Julii praedecessoris fundationem, decantare teneantur, & alterum g
Capella perpetuo fore statuimus & ordinamus. Collectionis Bullarum. III
the previous bull of Julius II (19. February 1513. Ibid. II, p. 349):
Cantores, & totidem Scholares......
42 The recently discovered Mantova Masses of Palestrina

for revision and that they were intended to be sung in S. Barbara for u
choir and with the second parts replaced by organ-music. Consequent
the first parts were sent to P. to be revised. He seems formerly to
masses perform in S. Pietro in this alternating way, but now having tw
at his disposal, he wished those to alternate (probably boys and men
distinct groups) instead of only one choir and organ.
2) It is remarkable that all the alternatim masses from S. Barbara (in
dance with the general practice of the time) have the second parts i
phonic settings. Now, we know that P. (anyway in first instance) o
ceived the first parts, it seems clear that his task cannot have been
phonic nature.
3) In 1568 Palestrina was commissioned by the Duke to write a (doub
polyphonic mass (cf. Bertolotti 1. c. p. 47) and was rewarded with the su
50 ducati (in that time - about 225 lire). But in 1579 for at least se
masses he only received the proportionally modest amount of 100
d'oro (- about 525 lire). 3) Now, if the masses in question had been o
compositions, he should in concert with this have been paid at least tric
sum. For a mere revision it seems, on the other hand, to be a rather re
able reward.
4) In a letter from Palestrina to Duke Guglielmo from 5th November 15
(Bertolotti 1. c. p. 52) the master writes about two masses with which he wa
then occupied: lo nel comporre questa ho trasportato il canto fermo talh
una quinta piui su talhora una ottaua accio uenisse piu alegra che non po
di sua natura il quarto tono, quest'altra della Madonna non ne hauri biso
per esser da se stessa autentica ....
Now we in the archives of S. Barbara actually find a mass of Palestrina
the fourth mode (the Missa in Duplicibus (minoribus), which he here co
posed twice) and also a >>missa della Madonna<< )Missa B. M. V. in the authent
seventh mode in three different shapes). But these masses are all alike in
far as the different parts transpose the plainsong themes here in the fi
above, there in the upper octave or in other intervals. This is, of course, the
general method for thoroughly imitated masses as those, and P. had certainl
no reason expressly to mention this to the Duke, if it concerned polypho
settings. Only if he had to compose a special Tenor mass or to arrange a
revise unison plainsongs, it would have been appropriate to account for
encroachment like this.
All this taken into consideration, I should think it improbable that the Pale-
strina masses in the archives of S. Barbara should have direct connection with
the letters in question from 1578-79.
In these archives we find in all ten masses of Palestrina, which, as far as I am
acquainted with the literature, we only know from these manuscripts and
which never seem to have been printed.
3) Cf. G. Turrini: L'Accadamia Filarmonica di Verona dalla fondazione (Maggio 1543)
al 1600 ...... Verona 1941, p. 52.
 The recently discovered Mantova Masses of Palestrina 43

The oldest of these masses is probably a mass without title, which is

down in MS. 109 (consisting of four partbooks from the second part
sixteenth century and containing only this mass). The altus is with
temporary handwriting marked: Altus di Gianetto Pallestrina (= G
da Palestrina, cf. Pierluigi da Palestrina Werke, Bd. XXVIII, p. I.). Th
pits of this four-part mass are the following:
I Gianetto Pallestrina. Missa. MS. 109.

l] fI C
D0i ' -0 .....
? ll .llD M
A. 0 11 1 00
b Hyri
.24 ,lp -%III IF I"I ,IllrI .H l I[
, itl
IA'.
=== iis. -

Kyrie Kyrie Kyrie Kyrie

This mass is of a rather brief, co
the Credo are very homophonic
passage in the letter from P. to
se ii piacera comandarmi, come
le parole .... (Bertolotti 1. c. p. 4
with the mass mentioned in this letter. It is one of the few full-masses which
in manuscript are preserved from S. Barbara. The themes seem to be fr
invented by the composer and are very Palestrinian; so the Agnus is melodi
ally closely related to the first Kyrie of the famous Missa Brevis and al
the first Agnus of the fivepart mass: Sine nomine (Pal. Werke, Bd. X
p. 87). The work is to be performed >>a voci mutate<< and is the only mass
this kind we know of Palestrina's.
The incipits of the nine other masses are:

II Palestrina: Missa in Duplicibus minoribus I. MS. 164.

Kyrie Kyrie Kyrie

Kyrie Kyrie

III Palestrina: Missa in Duplicibus minoribus II. MS. 164.

Kyrie Kyrie Kyrie

' = rI ..J1 T I I
Kyrie Kyrie
IV Palestrina: Missa Beate Marie

IyI I'I al| to r i -

Kyrie Kyrie Kyrie

Kyrie Kyrie
44 The recently discovered Mantova Masses of Palestrina

V Palestrina: Missa Beate Marie Virg. II. MS. 164.

Kyr e Ky ' r e
Kyrie Kyrie

VI Palestrina: Missa Beate Marie

KKyri e Kyrie Kyrie

yri Kyre

X Palestrina: Missa in Sem

Kyrie Kyrie
X Palestrina: Missa in Semiduplici

Kyrie Krie KKyrie

Kyrie Kyrie
 The recently discovered Mantova Masses of Palestrina 45

These masses are all found in two large splendid choirbooks both wr
by a certain Francesco Sforza, the first (MS. 164), in 1587, the secon
166) in 1592. Sforza, a Mantuan clerical, also in 1618 copied MS. 180, an
Antiphonal (plainsongs) still in the possession of the basilica of S. Barbara in
Mantova, and in 1616 a choirbook, which is now in the Library of the Cathe-
dral (S. Pietro) in Mantova.
MS. 164 contains the two masses in Duplicibus minoribus and the three masses
B. M. V. by Palestrina, further an anonymous fourpart Requiem, a Motet by
Jaches Wert, some anon. Magnificats, different responses by Gio. Iac. Gastoldi
and two passions for five parts, the first (Marcus) by Wert and the second
(Lucas) by Francesco Rovigo.
MS. 166 begins with a mass in Duplicibus maioribus by Francesco Rovigo, then
follows the masses in Festis Apostolorum by Palestrina, further a mass in
Dominicis diebus by Gastoldi and finally the two masses in Semiduplicibus
maioribus by Palestrina.
All these masses are as nearly all the manuscript masses from S. Barbara -
written for five parts and as already mentioned, alternatim masses.
The MS. 14 of S. Barbara (five part-books from the later part of the sixteenth
century) contains 5 anonymous five-part masses of which four are identical
with nos. 2, 6, 7, and 10 of the masses registered above. The fifth mass is a
Missa in Dominicis diebus otherwise unknown to me. That the masses in MS.
164 and 166 cannot have been copied after MS. 14 is evident, the writer o
the latter having forgotten the second Kyrie of the first mass in MS. 164
Probably they are both copied after the original MSS. of Palestrina now
seemingly lost.
Although nearly all the masses of the original repertory of S. Barbara are
alternatim masses, they are yet often differing in details. Some of them, for
instance, omit in their polyphonic settings the Amen after Credo, some have
no Benedictus, some no Osanna and some begin the Gloria with: bonae volun
tatis and Credo with: factorem coeli.
It is noteworthy that all these masses by Palestrina are of exactly the sam
type: Kyrie, Sanctus and Agnus Dei have full texts (the last yet without
pacem), but of Gloria and Credo only the following links are composed:

Gloria Credo

a) Bonae voluntatis a) Factorem coeli

b) Benedicimus te b) Et ex patre
c) Glorificamus te c) Genitum
d) Domine Deus, rex coelestis d) Et incarnatus
e) Domine Deus, Agnus Dei e) Et resurrexit
f) Qui tollis .... suscipe f) Et iterum
g) Quoniam tu solus g) Qui cum Patre
h) Tu solus Altissimus h) Confiteor
i) Amen i) Et vitam venturi saeculi. Amen.
46 The recently discovered Mantova Masses of Palestrina

As far as I know,4) none of the other masses from S. Barbara have exact
structure. That the Palestrina masses are composed expressly for this ch
however, cannot be doubted.
All these plainsong masses from S. Barbara are in several respects di
from the plainsongs of the official Roman liturgy.
On a recently visit to Mantova I was kindly admitted to examine the ar
of S. Barbara. I found that only the polyphonic part of the old archi
sold in 1850. The church still possesses a considerable number of larg
books most of them from the later sixteenth century with Gregorian c
Among these also a: Kyriale ad usum Ecclesie sancte Barbare, a par
codex containing in all ten masses: 1) In Duplicibus maioribus. 2) In Dupl
minoribus. 3) In Festis bte Marie virg. 4) In Festis Apostolorum. 5) In
nicis diebus. 6) In Semiduplicibus maioribus. 7) In Semiduplicibus min
8) In Simplicibus minoribus. 9) In Simplicibus minoribus & Feriis Te
Paschalis. 10) In Feriis per annum.
These masses are on many points diverging from the order of the Roman gra-
dual. Thus, they are arranged in such a way that all parts of the same mass
are in the same mode. Further it is remarkable that these melodies show a

clear tendency to begin with either tonic or .dominant although this princ
is not strictly adhered to. It is evident that these chants have been mod
in accordance with the taste of the late sixteenth century as to the plainso
But, of course, I dare not say if this collection represents just Palestri
revisions. On the other hand, it is absolutely certain that he wrote his Man
masses on exactly these cantus firmi. The most evident proofs of this are su
his three Missae B. M. V. which are built upon plainsongs quite unknown f
other sources; but also in the masses in Duplicibus minoribus and Semid
cibus maioribus we find melodies which are unfamiliar to the Graduale Ro-
manum from which Palestrina otherwise lent the themes for his plainson
masses.5)
It is known that Duke Guglielmo after (c. 1565) having founded the chapel
of S. Barbara endeavoured to attain papal approbation for a separate liturgy
for the service there.6)
The masses and the other compositions still remaining in the archives show that

4) In Milan I had an opportunity to consult all the MSS. which according to the Cata-
logues of S. Barbara contain polyphonic masses, with the only exception of the MS. 192. This
MS. does not seem to have returned to the Library after the evacuation. In the Catalogue we
find the following notice about it: Contini, Wert, Rovigi. Antiphon. Miss. Dominic. et Apo-
stolorum. Probably it is the same MS. about which in the old inventory from 1850 we read:
135. Autori diversi. Alcune messe. Libro nel massimo disordine, colle carte infradicite e
cadenti a pezzi per muffe delle quali parecchie mancano.
5) The missa Apostolorum, on the other hand, only contains melodies which we also find
in the official Graduale Romanum - only that they here are spread over three different
masses. In Mantova they apparently were placed together because of being in the same
(first) mode.
6) Cf. Molitor 1. c. I, p. 233.
 The recently discovered Mantova Masses of Palestrina 47

he was also very active to procure a special musical repertory in ac

with this liturgy. He was himself in this respect at the head of his mu
and encouraged them and others of the prominent composers of th
follow him.') Probably it therefore was on his initiative that Palestrina
also his now recovered plainsong masses, perhaps, they first came to M
during the reign of his son and successor, but at any rate they were wr
the service of S. Barbara.s)

7) In the MS. 180 of S. Barbara we see him at the work. Six of his people have written
a mass for every week-day, and his own Te Deum (anonymous here, but to find under his
name in a MS. in the Cathedral of Casale Monferrato) marks the centre of the codex.
s) The Missa Dominicalis which together with five similar works of Mantuan composers
in 1592 was published by a certain Carmelite friar, Giulio Pellini, (a Mantuan himself),
certainly has connection with S. Barbara. The themes are all (also those of the peculiar
Credo) quite in conformity with the Kyriale from there. Professor Strunk is convinced that
this mass is one of those which the correspondence from 1578-79 concerns and that it
consequently is authentic. From stylistic considerations I formerly regarded it as dubium.
Perhaps I have been too dogmatic - the future may decide this. But at any rate I have
to remark that I have not been able to find this mass, neither under the name of Palestrina,
nor under that of another composer in the archives of S. Barbara, and moreover that all the
other alternatim masses by Palestrina from there are of a structure not quite like this.