Tomás Luis de Victoria’s masses and motets are at the same time conservative, in the skilled use of counterpoint and coherent polyphonic texture; and innovative, in the intense and highly mystical interpretation of the text. Victoria’s music reached great fame in its time, especially his masses, and all his works were published in his lifetime. He did not write any secular music.

This recording uses new editions based on the part books in the British Library: Missae, Magnificat, motecta, psalmi et alia quam plurima; 3, 4, 8, 9, 12vv (Madrid, 1600).

Pieces on the recording:

Psalm: Dixit Dominus (a 8) (1581/1600)
Motet: O magnum mysterium (a 4) (1572) Circumcision
Magnificat Primi toni (a 8) (1600)
Psalm: Laudate pueri (a 8) (1581/1600)
Psalm: Laetatus sum (a 12) (1583/1600)
Motet: Versa est in luctum (a 6) (1605) (Requiem motet)
Marian antiphon: Regina coeli (a 8) (1572/1600) Easter
Psalm: Nisi Dominus (a 8) (1576/1600)
Psalm: Laudate Dominum omnes gentes (a 8) (1581/1600)
Motet: Duo Seraphim (a 4) (1583) (Responsory at Matins) Trinity
Psalm: Super flumina Babylonis (a 8) (1576/1600)
Marian antiphon: Salve Regina (a 8) (1576/1600) Trinity-Advent
Psalm: Ecce nunc benedicite Dominum (a 8) (1600)
Sequence: Lauda Sion (a 8) (1585/1600) Corpus Christi