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]
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]
O Quam Gloriosum est Regnum
Tomás Luis de Victoria Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Tomás Luis de Victoria:
Ave Maria Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum; benedicta tu in muli…
Jueves Santo 2nd Night: Amicus Meus Amicus meus osculi me tradidit signo: Quem osculatus fuero, …
Jueves Santo, 2nd Night: Amicus Meus Amicus meus osculi me tradidit signo: Quem osculatus fuero, …
Jueves Santo, 2nd Night: Judas Mercator Pessimus Judas mercator pessimus osculo petiit Dominum; Ille ut agnus…
Jueves Santo, 2nd Night: Unus Ex Discipulis Unus ex discipulis meis tradet me hodie: Vae illi per quem…
Jueves Santo, 3rd Night: Eram Quasi Agnus Eram quasi agnus innocens: Ductus sum ad immolandum, et nesc…
Jueves Santo, 3rd Night: Seniores Populi Seniores populi consilium fecerunt, Ut Jesum dolo tenerent, …
Jueves Santo, 3rd Night: Una Hora Una hora non potuistis vigilare mecum, Qui exhortabamini mor…
O Magnum Mysterium O magnum mysterium, et admirabile sacramentum, ut animalia v…
O vos omnes O vos ómnes qui transítis per víam, atténdite et vidéte: …
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Marti Dawson
Thanks so much for sharing this !! Our church's small Cappella Choir is learning it now, & although you're is in a different key (were in Aflat), you have a great tempo !
MrCimiciotto
Very nice, pleasant and equilibrated execution. I recently sang this wonderful piece with my choir: it's not so easy...
Margie Lyons
Thanks for uploading this. It is beautiful and easy to sing.
Oscar Grau
Gran música, buena interpretación, un tempo correcto.
irene lydia Frenandes
Thanks a lot. you made my day, I had been searching to learn soprano notes, . you really made me easy! God bless you all
Zen Kuriyama
Y'all better SANG! That opening "Quam" was "glorious," indeed!
David MENDOZA
bellísima composición!!
J.M. Tapias
This prayer is used by Harry Gregson Williams on "The Chronicles Of Narnia, The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe" Soundtrack (2005), exactly at "The Battle" Song.
Gerald Kiing
Can I have a source for this?
Alex B
Ah this choir is wonderful! Wow!