Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548 – August 20, 1611) was a Spanish composer of t… Read Full Bio ↴Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548 – August 20, 1611) was a Spanish composer of the late Renaissance. He was the most famous composer of the 16th century in Spain, and is considered by many to be second only to Palestrina as a composer of sacred polyphony at the time.

He was born in Ávila, likely studying with Escobedo at Segovia early in his life. He is known to have gone to Rome around 1564, where he joined the monastery founded by St. Ignatius Loyola as part of the fight against Lutheranism. He may have studied with Palestrina around this time, though the evidence is circumstantial; certainly he was influenced by the Italian's style. In 1575 he was ordained as a priest, after a period of service at the monastery as maestro di cappella. He did not stay in Italy, however; in 1586 he returned to Spain, this time in the service of Empress Maria, who was entering the convent of Descalzas Reales in Madrid. Victoria remained at the convent until the end of his life, performing several roles—priest, composer, director of the choir, and organist.

Victoria is the most significant composer of the Counter-Reformation in Spain, and one of the most well-regarded composers of sacred music in the late Renaissance, a genre he devoted himself to exclusively. His works have undergone a revival in the 20th century, with numerous recent recordings. Many commentators hear in his music a mystical intensity and direct emotional appeal, qualities considered by some to be lacking in the arguably more rhythmically and harmonically placid music of Palestrina.

Stylistically his music shuns the elaborate counterpoint of many of his contemporaries, preferring simple line and homophonic textures, yet seeking rhythmic variety and sometimes including intense and surprising contrasts. His melodic writing and use of dissonance is more free than that of Palestrina; occasionally he uses intervals which are prohibited in the strict application of 16th century counterpoint, such as ascending major sixths, or even occasional diminished fourths (for example, a melodic diminished fourth occurs in a passage representing grief in his motet Sancta Maria, succurre). Victoria sometimes uses dramatic word-painting, of a kind usually found only in madrigals. Some of his sacred music uses instruments (a practice which is not uncommon in Spanish sacred music of the 16th century), and he also wrote polychoral works for more than one spatially separated group of singers, in the style of the composers of the Venetian school who were working at St. Mark's in Venice.

Published in 1605 under the title Officium Defunctorum, sex vocibus, in obitu et obsequiis sacrae imperatricis, one of his finest, most beautiful, and most refined works is the great Requiem Mass he wrote in 1603 for the funeral of Empress Maria, who had been his employer since 1586, and who was the sister of Philip II and wife of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor. It is also notable the serene emotion of every one of the 37 pieces that form his Officium Hebdomadae Sanctae of 1585, a collection of motets and lamentations linked to the Holy Week Catholic celebrations.

[Wikipedia]

Jueves Santo 2nd Night: Amicus Meus
Tomás Luis de Victoria Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Amicus meus osculi me tradidit signo:
Quem osculatus fuero, ipse est, tenete eum:
hoc malum fecit signum,
qui per osculum adimplevit homicidium.
Infelix praetermisit pretium sanguinis,
et in fine laqueo se suspendit.
Bonum erat illi, si natus non fuisset homo ille.
Infelix praetermisit pretium sanguinis,

et in fine laqueo se suspendit.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Tomás Luis de Victoria's song, Jueves Santo 2nd Night: Amicus Meus, tell the story of the betrayal of Jesus Christ by one of his closest friends, Judas Iscariot. The first line, "Amicus meus osculi me tradidit signo," means "My friend, with a kiss he handed me over." This refers to the moment when Judas identified Jesus to the soldiers by kissing him on the cheek. The next line, "Quem osculatus fuero, ipse est, tenete eum," means "He whom I kiss is the one; hold him." This is what the soldiers said after Judas betrayed Jesus.

The following lines, "hoc malum fecit signum, qui per osculum adimplevit homicidium," mean "This evil man made a sign by completing his crime with a kiss." This highlights the betrayal and deception involved in Judas' actions. The lyrics then turn to Jesus' crucifixion, with "Infelix praetermisit pretium sanguinis," meaning "Unhappy, he omitted the price of blood," referring to how Judas sold out Jesus for a small amount of money. The final two lines, "et in fine laqueo se suspendit. Bonum erat illi, si natus non fuisset homo ille," mean "And in the end, he hung himself with a noose. It would have been better for him if he had never been born." These lines reflect the ultimate punishment and despair that Judas faced for his betrayal.

Overall, this song serves to reflect on the story of Judas and his betrayal of Jesus. It highlights the evil and deception involved in such an act, as well as the ultimate consequences for those involved.

Line by Line Meaning

Amicus meus osculi me tradidit signo:
My friend betrayed me with a kiss as a sign:

Quem osculatus fuero, ipse est, tenete eum:
The one I kiss is the one, seize him:

hoc malum fecit signum,
He made a sign of this evil,

qui per osculum adimplevit homicidium.
Who through a kiss fulfilled the murder.

Infelix praetermisit pretium sanguinis,
Unhappy, he ignored the value of blood,

et in fine laqueo se suspendit.
And in the end, he hung himself by a noose.

Bonum erat illi, si natus non fuisset homo ille.
It would have been better for him if that man had not been born.

Infelix praetermisit pretium sanguinis,
Unhappy, he ignored the value of blood,

et in fine laqueo se suspendit.
And in the end, he hung himself by a noose.

Contributed by Ava J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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