Tomas Luis de Victoria

Tomás Luis de Victoria , c.1548-1611, Spanish composer. He went to Rome in 1565 to study for the priesthood at the German Jesuit College. In 1571 he became music master of the Collegium Romanum, succeeding Palestrina, who may have been his teacher. Mutual influence is evident in their works. In 1578, Victoria gave up the position he had held since 1573 as music master at the Collegium Germanicum to become a resident priest at the Church of San Girolamo. All of Victoria's known compositions are religious. His first book of motets (1572) contains the well-known O quam gloriosum and O vos omnes. He also composed masses, canticles, settings of all the hymns for the church year (1581), and two settings of the biblical accounts of the Passion. His polyphonic technique, equal to any in the Renaissance, expresses a passionate mysticism that is essentially Spanish. In 1587 he returned to Spain to be chaplain and choirmaster to Empress Mary (wife of Emperor Maximilian II), in whose memory he composed his last and greatest work, Officium defunctorum (pub. 1605).

Victoria, Tomás Luis de (1548–1611), Spanish composer. He studied in Rome and joined St Philip Neri's Oratorians before returning to Spain in 1587 to become chaplain to the Dowager Empress Maria (sister of Philip II) and ‘maestro’ of the choir of the Madrid convent in which she lived. His compositions consist entirely of sacred music; imbued with strong mystical feeling, they rank among the greatest works of the Renaissance. They include music for *Holy Week, including the motet ‘O vos omnes’.

Victoria, Tomás Luis de (b Avila, c.1548; d Madrid, 1611). Sp. composer. Went to Rome 1565 as student for priesthood (ordained 1575) and was possibly a pupil of Palestrina. Org. and choirmaster S. Maria di Monserrato, Rome, 1569–71; choirmaster Collegium Romanum 1571–3, Collegium Germanicum 1573–8. Chaplain at Church of S. Girolamo della Carità 1578–85, working with S. Philip Neri, founder of oratorio. Returned to Spain 1595. (Because of long residence in It., name is often spelt in It. form, Vittoria.) Organist and choirmaster, convent of Descalzas Reales, Madrid, 1596–1611. With Palestrina, regarded as one of supreme contrapuntists of his age, his mus. having a dramatic vigour and colour which reflect his nationality. Wrote only church mus., incl. settings of all hymns of RC liturgical year. Works pubd. in complete modern edn. by Pedrell (Leipzig 1902–13). The 8 vols. comprise: I, 44 motets; II, 10 Masses; III, 18 Magnificats and a Nunc Dimittis; IV, 5 Masses; V, 34 hymns and Officium Hebdomadae Sanctae; VI, 5 Masses; VII, 10 psalms, 10 settings of Marian antiphons, 3 other works; VIII, Biography, bibliography, and 5 other works. Among greatest works are motets Vexilla regis, O magnum mysterium, O quam gloriosum, O vos omnes; Requiem (1583 and 1603).