One of Palestrina's last works, the Missa Assumpta est Maria bears witness to the full maturity and genius of the composer. The mass is of the 'paraphrase' type, meaning that a short phrase of plainsong (such as a hymn or an antiphon from the Catholic Liturgy) provides the melodic basis on which the work is constructed. Groups of notes (called motifs) are extracted from this melody and used at points of imitation throughout the mass. This one uses an antiphon written for the feast day of the Virgin Mary (a so-called Marian antiphon). In addition, Palestrina introduces a little figure of five ascending notes which is used throughout the mass for a joyful decorative effect.

The mass expresses the joy and vitality of a great festal day through exhuberant melodic lines rife with elaborate decorative elements. While resurrecting the clarity and balance which were hallmarks of his earlier works, Palestrina looks forward to the Baroque with an unusual attention to vertical sonority and an almost modern sense of major tonality.

Palestrina's mastery of texture is evident in this work, scored for six voices (SSATTB). He achieves a remarkable lightness and delicacy of texture within the richness of an elaborate six-part counterpoint. The melodic lines, making extensive use of the upper registers of each voice, produce a brilliant tone, while their constant crossing and re-crossing imbue the work with an ethereal feel. This is most striking in the Kyrie and Agnus, where the composer constantly varies the vocal groupings, contrasting different densities and registers. The Christe is particularly impressive; in an unusual move, Palestrina reduces the texture to the four lowest voices (ATTB) creating a hushed, mellow tone of dignified beauty, an appealing shadow within a light and brilliant movement.

The Gloria and Credo's writing is primarily homophonic, indeed quasi-harmonic, where rhythmic elaboration consists of short melodic fragments or syncopated inner parts. Palestrina particularly exploits the upper timbres, scoring many passages for upper-voice quartets (SSAT or SSAA).

In the Sanctus, Palestrina deploys an astonishing diversity of contrapuntal means to achieve a joyful, varied movement. The texture constantly shifts as the voices are grouped in ever-changing blocks, and flowing contrapuntal phrases alternate repidly with restrained homophonic passages.



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