Salve regina [264]

Tomás Luis de Victoria

Full title / Other titles

SR264 Salve regina, vita dulcedo 4 vv ; [2.p.] Eia ergo 4 vv ; [3.p.] O clemens, O pia, O dulcis virgo semper Maria 4 vv

Type

Motet

Scores

[1] Salve regina, vita dulcedo

Polyphonic ensemble SATB

C-G2; A-C2; T-C3; B-C4. High clefs. Entire range, c-f’’. Alternatim setting. The usual alternation procedure has plainsong for the odd-numbered verses and polyphony for even numbered verses; however, Spanish composers often set the first half of verse 6 in polyphony but relegated the remainder, “nobis…ostende” in chant, and considered the three acclamations, verses 7-9, as a complete entity. With polyphony for verses 1 and 2, 5 and 7-9 and chant assigned to verses 3, 4 and 6 Victoria’s arrangements considerably differs from his two other alternatim settings (SR265 and SR266). The “salve/vita” motto in long note values permeates the imitative fabric of pars 1; chant[1] accompanying the text “vita dulcedo” also serves as a cantus firmus (C, mm. 22-9); plainsong appears in both voices of paired imitation (T/B, C/A, T/B) statements that introduce pars 3. Declamatory text setting prevails. Final g, bb signature.

1. Inclusion of “mater” in verse 1 and omission of “et” (“et spes nostra”) in verse 2 as well as plainsong associated with “dulcedo” (mm. 24-9) and “O clemens/O pia” (3.p.) suggests a variant of the Spanish version of Salve regina. Breve Instrucción de canto llano ordenada por Luys de Villafranca, (Seville: Sebastián Trujillo, 1565). For transcription of Salve regina chant, see MRM 9, pp. 70-2.
[2] Eia ergo

Polyphonic ensemble SATB

[3] O clemens, O pia, O dulcis virgo semper Maria

Polyphonic ensemble SATB

Description

For a summary of observations regarding the authenticity of the attribution to Victoria as well as insights concerning this Salve regina, see (Wagstaff, 2013, pp. 127-42).

Associated people

Tomás Luis de Victoria - Composer

Creation place and date

No information.

Associated sources

Sung texts

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Salve, regina, mater misericordiae;

Vita, dulcedo et spes nostra, salve.

Ad te clamamus exsules filii Hevae.

Ad te suspiramus gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum valle.

Eia ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte.

Et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.

O clemens,

O pia,

O dulcis virgo Maria.

Bibliography

Modern editions

No information.

References

[" Singing praises to Mary in a new world]

Wagstaff, G. G., 2013, " Singing praises to Mary in a new world: A Salve Regina attributed to Tomás Luis de Victoria in Puebla,(Mexico), Estudios. Tomás Luis de Victoria. Studies, p. 127‑142 https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=8015607 (consulté le 3 décembre 2025).
(pp. 127-42)

Contributors

Harry Elzinga - Project manager ; Scientific editor

Ailin Arjmand - Collaborative work

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Salve regina [264], in RicercarDataLab [https://ricercardatalab.cesr.univ-tours.fr/works/2213/] (accessed 25 January 2026).

Last modification: Dec. 12, 2025