April 16, 2018. .Nikolai Myaskovsky, a Russian composer, was born this week, on April 20th of 1881.Prolific (he wrote 27 symphonies), he was widely performed during his lifetime in the Soviet Union and, to a lesser extent, in Europe and the US.He was often criticized by the Soviet music establishment and almost as often awarded state prizes; these days he’s mostly forgotten.Myaskovsky deserves to be written about, but today we’ll focus on Tomás Luis de Victoria, one of the great composers of the Renaissance, for whom we never have a fixed date as we don’t know when hewas born.
A younger contemporary of Palestrina and Orlando di Lasso, Victoria was born in 1548 in a small town of Sanchidrián near Ávila. His mother was from a converso, that is from a family of Spanish Jews who were forced to convert to Catholicism. Victoria went to school in Ávila, sang as a choirboy in the local cathedral and probably learned there to play the organ. The cathedral of Ávila was one of Spain’s musical centers, and Victoria’s teachers were prominent composers and musicians. Some speculate that while in Ávila, he met Antonio de Cabezón, the famous blind composer, second in fame only to Cristóbal de Morales. Somewhere around 1563, once his voice had broken, Victoria was sent to Rome, to the Collegio Germanico, a preeminent Catholic school known for its excellent music education. While at the Collegio, Victoria probably met Palestrina, who at the time was maestro di cappella at the basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano, and likely became his pupil. In 1569 Victoria became a singer and the organist at Santa Maria in Monserrato degli Spagnoli, the Spanish national church in Rome. Such was his reputation that a couple years later he was invited to teach music at the Collegio Germanico and eventually was appointed maestro di cappella. In 1574, he was ordained a priest. A year later he was appointed maestro di capella at Sant'Apollinare alle Terme, the church of the Collegium. By then Victoria was already a widely known and well-published composer.
In 1583 Victoria dedicated the second volume of masses (Missarum libri duo) to King Philip II and expressed the desire to return to Spain and lead the life of a priest. His wish was granted: Victoria was named the chaplain to the Dowager Empress María. Empress Maria lived in the Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales. Masses at the convent were served daily, with Victoria acting as the choir master and organist. After dowager’s death in 1603 he remained at the convent in a position endowed by Maria. Victoria was held in very high esteem, was paid very well, and was free to travel. In 1594, he happened to be in Rome when Palestrina died; the funeral mass was celebrated at Saint Peter’s Basilica, with Victoria in attendance. By the end of his own life, Victoria’s music was played all over Europe and even in the New World: his masses were very popular in Mexico and Bogotá. He died on August 20th of 1611 and was buried at the Monasterio de las Descalzas.
Victoria’s masterpiece is Officium Defunctorum, a prayer cycle for the deceased, which includes settings of seven movements of the Funeral Mass and another three pieces.Officium Defunctorum was written on the death of Dowager Empress María in 1603.You can hear all 10 movement of Officium Defunctorum by searching our library. It is performed, with extraordinary clarity and style, by the Spanish ensemble Musica Ficta. Another great interpreter of the music of Victoria is the ensemble The Sixteen, directed by Harry Christophers.Here, in their performance, in Victoria’s Magnificat Sexti Toni, one of the several settings of Magnificat composed by the great Spaniard.
Victoria, 2018
April 16, 2018. . Nikolai Myaskovsky, a Russian composer, was born this week, on April 20th of 1881. Prolific (he wrote 27 symphonies), he was widely performed during his lifetime in the Soviet Union and, to a lesser extent, in Europe and the US. He was often criticized by the Soviet music establishment and almost as often awarded state prizes; these days he’s mostly forgotten. Myaskovsky deserves to be written about, but today we’ll focus on Tomás Luis de Victoria, one of the great composers of the Renaissance, for whom we never have a fixed date as we don’t know when hewas born.
In 1583 Victoria dedicated the second volume of masses (Missarum libri duo) to King Philip II and expressed the desire to return to Spain and lead the life of a priest. His wish was granted: Victoria was named the chaplain to the Dowager Empress María. Empress Maria lived in the Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales. Masses at the convent were served daily, with Victoria acting as the choir master and organist. After dowager’s death in 1603 he remained at the convent in a position endowed by Maria. Victoria was held in very high esteem, was paid very well, and was free to travel. In 1594, he happened to be in Rome when Palestrina died; the funeral mass was celebrated at Saint Peter’s Basilica, with Victoria in attendance. By the end of his own life, Victoria’s music was played all over Europe and even in the New World: his masses were very popular in Mexico and Bogotá. He died on August 20th of 1611 and was buried at the Monasterio de las Descalzas.
Victoria’s masterpiece is Officium Defunctorum, a prayer cycle for the deceased, which includes settings of seven movements of the Funeral Mass and another three pieces. Officium Defunctorum was written on the death of Dowager Empress María in 1603. You can hear all 10 movement of Officium Defunctorum by searching our library. It is performed, with extraordinary clarity and style, by the Spanish ensemble Musica Ficta. Another great interpreter of the music of Victoria is the ensemble The Sixteen, directed by Harry Christophers. Here, in their performance, in Victoria’s Magnificat Sexti Toni, one of the several settings of Magnificat composed by the great Spaniard.