An aesthetic principle of the Counter-Reformation sacred style is that the music should be serene, objective, and beautifully proportioned. Jeppesen's remarks are appropriate in this regard:

The linear treatment of the Palestrina music reveals a marked inner coherence and an understanding of what is, in the truest sense, organic, which is indeed sought after in every style species. It abhors the rough and inelegant and rejoices in the free and natural. It avoids strong, unduly sharp accents and extreme contrasts of every kind and expresses itself always in a characteristically smooth and pleasing manner that may seem at first somewhat uniform and unimposing but that soon reveals a richly shaded expression of a superior culture.... An absolute, completely free balance between the elements is required; no one element could be emphasized at the expense of another; everything must work together smoothly and harmoniously. (Jeppesen, Counterpoint)