# Two voices Palestrina scores



## rbarata (Nov 3, 2014)

Not sure if this is the right place to ask this but I'd like to know some Palestrina's pieces for two voices so that I can study them.

Thank you


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## Josquin13 (Nov 7, 2017)

I don't believe Palestrina composed any works for just "two voices". All of his music is for three, four, five, seven, eight, and twelve voices: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_...nni_Pierluigi_da_Palestrina#Secular_madrigals. But I'm no expert...

Generally, Renaissance composers didn't write polyphonic music for just two voices--although their chansons (or secular songs) are sometimes for a solo voice with lute or vihuela accompaniment. However, lately, there's been a trend to adapt Renaissance motets & mass movements into more intimate chamber pieces for one or two voices with a single or double lute or vihuela accompaniment (& sometimes with a third instrument, too--for 5 part works). Tenor John Potter (formerly of the Hilliard Ensemble) for instance reworked some of Josquin Desprez's motets into vocal duets, with a double lute accompaniment, on his Cd "Secret History": https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Histo...+history+potter&qid=1577831255&s=music&sr=1-1. While Baritone Romain Bockler and lutenist Bor Zuljan recently explored Josquin's chansons on more intimate terms, as well: https://www.amazon.com/Amours-DULCE...osquin+ricercar&qid=1577831313&s=music&sr=1-1.

There are also later 16th century transcriptions of Josquin's motets & certain mass movements for solo lute, which can be played as duets, too, I think--such as here:


















The reason I mention these Josquin recordings to you is because maybe you could pursue something like that with Palestrina's three & four part music?


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