Album insights
In the 16th century, Tomás Luis de Victoria, the most significant composer of the Spanish "Golden Age" of polyphonic music, was born in Avila in 1548. He began his musical education as a choirboy at the Avila Cathedral in 1558. After his voice changed, he enrolled as a student at the Collegium Germanicum in Rome in 1565. Spending the next 20 years in Rome, Victoria held various prestigious positions, notably at S. Maria di Montserrato, the Collegium Germanicum, Collegium Romanum (where he succeeded Palestrina as Maestro di Cappella in 1571), and S. Apollinaire. Ordained in 1575, he later became the chaplain at S. Girolamo della Carità. Around 1587, he left Italy and became the chaplain at the Monastery of the Barefoot Carmelites, serving as Maestro of the priest and boys' choir.
Compared to other Renaissance composers like Palestrina and Lassus, Victoria's musical output was relatively modest, focusing exclusively on sacred music. His published works consistently displayed a high level of inspiration and musical skill. Victoria was known for his critical approach to his work, evident in the revisions made in successive editions of his works during his lifetime. His style reflected influences from earlier Spanish masters and his time spent in Rome, likely in contact with Palestrina. While sharing Palestrina's preference for smooth, connected melodic lines and intricate counterpoint, Victoria's music exhibited more accidents and subtle harmonic elements, distinguishing it from his contemporaries.
Victoria's rendition of "Veni Sancte Spiritus" for double choir is part of a collection of his masses, Magnificats, Psalms, and other works published by Ioannes Flandrum in Madrid in 1600. The composition showcases solemn imitative themes, homophonic exchanges between the choirs, and intricate harmonies, climaxing in an impressive eight-part section of resplendent glory. "Veni Sancte Spiritus" serves as the sequence for the Pentecost Mass, traditionally falling on the fiftieth day after Easter.
Among the significant pieces in the Roman liturgy for Holy Week are the "Improperia," or Reproaches. Originating from the Good Friday liturgy, these chants feature Christ addressing his people. Dating back to the seventh century, the ceremony involves two choirs singing twelve verses with alternating refrains, culminating in the haunting repetition of "Popule meus, quid feci tibi?" The musical setting of the "Improperia" by Victoria in 1585 demonstrated his ability to create deeply moving music with simple homophony, a hallmark of his compositional prowess.
Additionally, Victoria composed elaborate settings for hymns such as "Vexilla regis," attributed to Venantius Fortunatus, and "Veni Creator Spiritus," a venerable hymn often sung during the ordination of priests. His polyphonic treatments of these hymns exemplified his mastery of weaving traditional melodies seamlessly into intricate harmonic structures.
Victoria's magnum opus, the Missa Dum complerentur, exemplifies his skill in crafting intricate polyphonic compositions. Based on his motet of the same name, the mass employs contrapuntal elements from the motet and expands them into a six-part chorus, showcasing his ability to innovate within traditional musical forms. The Missa Dum complerentur culminates in a harmonious and richly textured finale fittingly concluding with the plea "dona nobis pacem."
Victoria's extensive body of work includes compositions for various liturgical occasions, emphasizing his profound influence on sacred music during the Renaissance period. Admired for his meticulous approach and innovative harmonies, Victoria's legacy as a master of polyphony endures to this day.