This Renaissance Collection features sacred music from one of the most inspired periods in the arts. Each of the European schools of composition (Italian, Flemish, German, Spanish, and English) is represented by a total of twenty composers, offering a fascinating cross-section of styles and influences. Great masters including Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, hailed through the centuries as "prince and father of music," wrote music of unsurpassed grace and beauty. Included in this collection are Lassus, Byrd, and Victoria, as well as lesser-known composers such as Hassler, de Wert, Nanino, and many others. Featured in this set is the only existing recording of Palestrina's Missa Descendit Angelus Domini and the Missa Beatae Mariae Virginis II, also included is the Missa super Bella Amfitrit’ altera by Lassus, generally considered one of his finest works.