The Council of Trent, held in the 16th century, was a reaction of the Roman Catholic Church to the Reformation movement that had been threatening to destabilize the Church’s authority. As part of its efforts to reassert its doctrines, the Council established strict rules governing church music. Unfortunately, this had the effect of suppressing one of the great musical achievements of the Renaissance period: the development of the polyphonic style.

The polyphonic style, which was characterized by the use of multiple voices singing different parts that blended together to form an intricate and beautiful whole, had been pioneered by such great composers of the Renaissance as Palestrina, Victoria, Byrd, and many others. The Council of Trent, however, felt that such an artistic approach to music was too “impersonal,” and thus in conflict with the religious doctrines they were attempting to uphold. As a result, the Council declared that music in the Church must be used as a means of religious instruction, emphasizing clarity of words over musical complexity.

The Council of Trent’s clampdown on church music had a devastating effect on the music of the Renaissance. Many of the composers of the time were forced to abandon their polyphonic style and to instead focus on composing music that was simpler in style and more in line with the Council’s dictates. Indeed, even to this day, the legacy of the Council’s edict can be seen in the largely homophonic music of the Church. However, the impact of the great composers of the Renaissance, and the beautiful music they created, can never be forgotten.