Alma redemptoris mater [036]

Guillaume Du Fay

Full title / Other titles

AR036 Alma redemptoris mater 3 vv ; Et stella maris 3 vv ; Virgo prius 3 vv ; Sumens 3 vv

Scores

[1] Alma redemptoris mater

Polyphonic ensemble STX

[C]-C1; Ct-C3; T-C3. Slightly ornamented chant (App. 1) relegated to T as a cantus firmus within a treble dominated setting. Basically within the same range as T, the Ct, at times rather disjunct, acts as a “filler” voice. Contrasting mensurations appear in subsequent sections as well as simultaneously. Compound duple mensuration (6/8) is employed for first and third sections and triple mensuration for the second section; for the text “caeli porta manes” the C is in duple mensuration while the two lower voices exhibit compound duple mensuration (mm. 20-30). The text segments, “surgere…genitorem” and “sumens…miserere” appear in homorhythmic style, and, consequently, concurrent text in all voices; the latter phrase has a corona over each pitch. The C in cantilena style includes a variety of rhythmic gestures and the occasional under-third cadence. Final F, b♭ signatures for Ct and T.

[2] Et stella maris

Polyphonic ensemble STX


[3] Virgo prius

Polyphonic ensemble STX


[4] Sumens

Polyphonic ensemble STX

Associated people

Guillaume Du Fay - Composer

Creation place and date

No information.

Associated sources

Sung texts

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Alma redemptoris mater, quae pervia caeli porta manes
Et stella maris, succurre cadenti surgere qui curat populo:
Tu quae genuisti, natura mirante, tuum sanctum genitorem:
Virgo prius ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore sumens illud, Ave, peccatorum miserere.

Bibliography

Modern editions

[CMM 1]

Dufay, G., 1966, Guillaume Dufay, Opera omnia, Besseler H. et Fallows D. (éd.), Rome.
(n° 47)

[Gallo, 1968]

Gallo, F. A. (éd.), 1968, Il codice musicale 2216 della biblioteca universitaria di Bologna, Bologna.
(pp. 64-65)

References

No information.

Contributors

Harry Elzinga - Project manager ; Scientific editor

Ailin Arjmand - Collaborative work

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Alma redemptoris mater [036], in RicercarDataLab [https://ricercardatalab.cesr.univ-tours.fr/works/1200/] (accessed 21 January 2026).

Last modification: Nov. 10, 2025