February 10, 2014. Tomás Luis de Victoria. Only minor composers were born this week. Fernando Sor, the Spanish guitarist and composer, was christened on February 14, 1778 (and probably born a day earlier) in Barcelona. Here is one of his best-known compositions, Variations on a Theme by Mozart, performed by the guitaristRafael Serrallet. Alexander Dargomyzhsky, born on February 14, 1813, was a Russian composer mostly known for his operas Rusalka (The Mermaid) and The Stone Guest, both based on Alexander Pushkin’s works: the former – on an incomplete poem, and the latter – on a “little tragedy” in blank verse. Dargomyzhsky was an important link between Glinka and the “Mighty Five.”
We’ll turn instead to a composer of genius, the Spaniard Tomás Luis de Victoria. He was born around 1548 in a small town of Sanchidrián, not far from the walled city of Ávila. When Victoria was 10, he was sent to the Cathedral of Avila. There, he was a chorister, but also learned to play the organ. In 1567 he was accepted at Gollegium Germanicum, a Jesuit seminary in Rome (Ignatius Loyola was one of the founders). The seminary was created for the German-speaking students, but also accepted young men from other countries. It is quite possible that around that time Victoria took music lessons from Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, the most famous composer of the time. Victoria also became an organist at the Spanish church in Rome, Santa Maria de Monserrat. In 1571 he succeeded Palestrina as the chapel master of the Pontifical Roman Seminary (Palestrina received the prestigious position at the St-Peter Cathedral). The following year in 1572, Victoria published his first book of motets. Three years later he was made the choir master of his alma mater, Collegium Germanicum, which by then had moved to the magnificent Palazzo di Sant’Apollinare. In this position he not only taught music and managed the choir at the college, but also supervised all music-making in the church of St. Apollinare, which was adjacent to the college and were the choir performed during services. Victoria raised the choir to such a level that people from all over Rome flocked to the St. Apollinare to listen to it. In 1575 Victoria, a deeply religious man, was ordained a priest. He retired from Collegium Germanicum in 1578, and for the following seven years worked as a chaplain in one of the churches of Rome, actively composing. Several anthologies of his works were published in Rome during these years and his fame as a composer spread across Italy.
In 1587 Victoria returned to Spain after King Philip II granted him a position of chaplain to his sister, Empress Maria. Maria, daughter of Emperor Charles V, who had served as regent of Spain during the absence of Philip II, by then retired to the Monastery of Las Descalzas Reales in Madrid. Victoria served to Empress Maria for the following 17 years, until her death in 1603. He only took one break, in 1593, when he went back to Rome and stayed there for two years. In 1594, while in Rome, he attended the funeral of Palestrina. Upon Empress Maria’s death Victoria wrote a Requiem Mass, one of his finest compositions. Here is the motet Versa est in luctum (My harp is turned to mourning) from the Mass. It’s performed by the Westminster Cathedral Choir, David Hill conducting. After the Empress’s death Victoria stayed in Las Descalzas Reales as a mere organist, even though his fame had spread all over Spain and several important cathedrals, Seville’s among them, wanted to hire him. He continued composing and published several more books of music. Tomás Luis de Victoria died in the convent of Las Descalzas Reales on August 20th of 1611. Here is another famous composition by Victoria, motet O magnum mysteriumfrom the eponymous mass. It’s performed by the Oxford Camerata, Jeremy Summerly conducting.
Tomás Luis de Victoria 2014
February 10, 2014. Tomás Luis de Victoria. Only minor composers were born this week. Fernando Sor, the Spanish guitarist and composer, was christened on February 14, 1778 (and probably born a day earlier) in Barcelona. Here is one of his best-known compositions, Variations on a Theme by Mozart, performed by the guitarist Rafael Serrallet. Alexander Dargomyzhsky, born on February 14, 1813, was a Russian composer mostly known for his operas Rusalka (The Mermaid) and The Stone Guest, both based on Alexander Pushkin’s works: the former – on an incomplete poem, and the latter – on a “little tragedy” in blank verse. Dargomyzhsky was an important link between Glinka and the “Mighty Five.”
We’ll turn instead to a composer of genius, the Spaniard Tomás Luis de Victoria. He was born around 1548 in a
small town of Sanchidrián, not far from the walled city of Ávila. When Victoria was 10, he was sent to the Cathedral of Avila. There, he was a chorister, but also learned to play the organ. In 1567 he was accepted at Gollegium Germanicum, a Jesuit seminary in Rome (Ignatius Loyola was one of the founders). The seminary was created for the German-speaking students, but also accepted young men from other countries. It is quite possible that around that time Victoria took music lessons from Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, the most famous composer of the time. Victoria also became an organist at the Spanish church in Rome, Santa Maria de Monserrat. In 1571 he succeeded Palestrina as the chapel master of the Pontifical Roman Seminary (Palestrina received the prestigious position at the St-Peter Cathedral). The following year in 1572, Victoria published his first book of motets. Three years later he was made the choir master of his alma mater, Collegium Germanicum, which by then had moved to the magnificent Palazzo di Sant’Apollinare. In this position he not only taught music and managed the choir at the college, but also supervised all music-making in the church of St. Apollinare, which was adjacent to the college and were the choir performed during services. Victoria raised the choir to such a level that people from all over Rome flocked to the St. Apollinare to listen to it. In 1575 Victoria, a deeply religious man, was ordained a priest. He retired from Collegium Germanicum in 1578, and for the following seven years worked as a chaplain in one of the churches of Rome, actively composing. Several anthologies of his works were published in Rome during these years and his fame as a composer spread across Italy.
In 1587 Victoria returned to Spain after King Philip II granted him a position of chaplain to his sister, Empress Maria. Maria, daughter of Emperor Charles V, who had served as regent of Spain during the absence of Philip II, by then retired to the Monastery of Las Descalzas Reales in Madrid. Victoria served to Empress Maria for the following 17 years, until her death in 1603. He only took one break, in 1593, when he went back to Rome and stayed there for two years. In 1594, while in Rome, he attended the funeral of Palestrina. Upon Empress Maria’s death Victoria wrote a Requiem Mass, one of his finest compositions. Here is the motet Versa est in luctum (My harp is turned to mourning) from the Mass. It’s performed by the Westminster Cathedral Choir, David Hill conducting. After the Empress’s death Victoria stayed in Las Descalzas Reales as a mere organist, even though his fame had spread all over Spain and several important cathedrals, Seville’s among them, wanted to hire him. He continued composing and published several more books of music. Tomás Luis de Victoria died in the convent of Las Descalzas Reales on August 20th of 1611. Here is another famous composition by Victoria, motet O magnum mysteriumfrom the eponymous mass. It’s performed by the Oxford Camerata, Jeremy Summerly conducting.