The Style of Palestrina and the Dissonance
The Style of Palestrina and the Dissonance
A classic study of Palestrina style, showing how rhythm, melodic line, modes, word setting, harmony, and dissonance create the balance of Renaissance polyphony.
Book Description
The Style of Palestrina and the Dissonance by Knud Jeppesen is a classic study of Palestrina style, Renaissance counterpoint, dissonance treatment, rhythm, modes, word setting, and vocal polyphony. Rather than offering a simple rulebook, Jeppesen examines how Palestrina’s music works from the inside, especially how controlled dissonance gives the style clarity, balance, and expressive restraint. It is especially valuable for advanced students, composers, theorists, and teachers who want to move from general admiration of Palestrina to a precise understanding of his contrapuntal language.
Who this book is for?
This book is idStudy Palestrina style in real depth.
Study Palestrina style in real depth.
Understand dissonance in vocal polyphony.
Improve Renaissance counterpoint analysis.
Explore modes, rhythm, and word setting.
Strengthen historical composition skills.
What will you learn?
In The Style of Palestrina and the Dissonance, you will learn how Palestrina’s music achieves its famous sense of calm, balance, and inevitability.
The book shows that dissonance is not merely something to avoid. In Palestrina’s music, dissonance is carefully prepared, placed, controlled, and resolved. It becomes one of the main forces that gives Renaissance polyphony direction and elegance.
You will also learn how melodic line, rhythm, mensuration, ecclesiastical modes, word setting, and harmonic sonority all contribute to the style. Jeppesen’s approach is analytical, but the result is practical: you begin to hear why some contrapuntal solutions feel natural and others feel clumsy.
Book Overview
his review of The Style of Palestrina and the Dissonance can be summarized simply: it is one of the most important books ever written on Palestrina’s contrapuntal language.
The Dover edition was published in 2005, with Amazon listing March 24, 2005, 336 pages, and ISBN 9780486442686. Other listings place it in the Dover Books on Music: Analysis series, confirming its identity as a serious analytical music book.
As a summary, Jeppesen begins from the broader foundations of style and then turns to Palestrina’s personal handling of rhythm, line, harmony, vertical sonority, and especially dissonance. Some descriptions of the book note its attention to rhythm and mensuration, ecclesiastical modes, word treatment, intervallic motion, accents, and the empirical analysis of dissonance.
Is it worth it? Yes, if you want a deep book rather than a quick introduction. This is not the friendliest first counterpoint manual, but it is one of the books that teaches you to hear Renaissance polyphony with better ears. It does not just say that Palestrina is smooth. It asks why that smoothness works.
Topics Covered
Detailed analysis of Palestrina style and vocal texture.
Historical background of dissonance before Palestrina.
Study of rhythm, mensuration, and melodic accent.
Discussion of ecclesiastical modes and modal behavior.
Attention to word setting in sacred vocal music.
Examination of vertical sonorities and intervallic motion.
A bridge between counterpoint, analysis, and composition.
About the Author
Knud Jeppesen was a Danish musicologist and composer, born in 1892 and died in 1974. He is widely associated with the study of Palestrina, counterpoint, and Renaissance vocal polyphony.
His name remains especially important because of two related works: The Style of Palestrina and the Dissonance and Counterpoint: The Polyphonic Vocal Style of the Sixteenth Century. The latter has long been used as a standard textbook for Renaissance counterpoint study.
Jeppesen’s importance lies in his combination of historical scholarship and precise stylistic analysis. He does not treat Palestrina as a vague symbol of purity. He studies the actual mechanics of the style, including how dissonance, rhythm, and line create the sound that later generations admired.
Why this book is worth it
The Style of Palestrina and the Dissonance is worth it because it gives you access to the inner grammar of one of the most influential styles in Western music.
For composers, the book is valuable because it shows how a controlled musical language can still be expressive. Palestrina’s style depends on voice leading, melodic discipline, cadential timing, and dissonance that is never random.
For theorists and students, it offers a model of serious stylistic analysis. Instead of reducing counterpoint to a few classroom prohibitions, Jeppesen asks how the whole musical surface behaves.
For performers, the book can sharpen listening. Understanding how dissonance, accent, line, and text function can change the way a motet or mass is phrased, balanced, and sung.
For readers of Musicus Practicus, this book belongs beside counterpoint, modal theory, partimento, and historical composition methods. It reminds us that old styles are not collections of rules. They are complete musical languages.
Buy this Book on Amazon
You can buy The Style of Palestrina and the Dissonance by Knud Jeppesen on Amazon. If you study Palestrina style, Renaissance counterpoint, vocal polyphony, dissonance treatment, or historical composition, this is a serious and rewarding book for your library.
FAQ on this Book
Does the book teach counterpoint exercises?
Not in the same way as a workbook. It is more analytical than exercise based, but it gives deep insight into the musical logic behind sixteenth century counterpoint.
Is this book connected to Jeppesen’s Counterpoint?
Yes. It is closely related in spirit. The Style of Palestrina and the Dissonance gives analytical depth, while Jeppesen’s Counterpoint is more directly pedagogical.
Is this book difficult to read?
It can be demanding. It is best for readers already comfortable with music theory, counterpoint, and analytical discussion of Renaissance style.
Continue Your Journey as a Musicus Practicus
If you desire to stop looking at early music from the outside and wish to step inside the musical mind of the 15th and 16th centuries, there are three distinct ways we can work together to elevate your skills:
- 1-to-1 Musical Apprenticeship: For a personalized, tailor-made path, book private lessons with me. We will work directly on your specific goals, from counterpoint to improvisation, Renaissance and Baroque composition, theory and practice, exactly as a master and apprentice would have done centuries ago.
- Patreon Support & Exclusive Content: Join our growing community of true Musici Prattici on Patreon!
Gain access to exclusive insights, behind-the-scenes materials, and support the ongoing creation of these deep-dive musical analyses.- The Musicus Practicus Academy (MPA): Enroll in my comprehensive on-demand courses.
Start with the free levels, and master the art of Renaissance and Baroque music step-by-step at your own pace.
All Rights Reserved - Richardus Cochlearius 2026