I�ve voraciously re-read many sections from Jeppesen�s �Counterpoint� and slammed my way through �The Palestrina Style and the Dissoance� while riding the subway. I�ve combed my way through the Pope Marcellus Mass with awe and excitement: the elegance and fluidity with which Palestrina handles six polyphonic lines � never exceeding, from bass to soprano, the space of two-octaves-and-a-fifth, the serene motion of his melodic energy, the refinement of his rhythm, the naturalness with which he glides through dissonance � all this takes my breath away.