Alma redemptoris mater [068]

Luca Marenzio

Full title / Other titles

AR068 1.p. Alma redemptoris mater 4 vv ; [2.p.] Succurre cadenti 4 vv ; [3.p.] Tu que genuisti 8 vv

Scores

[1] Alma redemptoris mater

Polyphonic ensemble SATB

Two equal choirs. S-G2; A-C2; T-C3; B-F4. High clefs. Entire range, B♭-f’’. Only the third section involves antiphony beginning with “Gabrielis;” no more than one-tenth of the piece involves tutti. Prior to “Gabrielis,” chant (App. 1) permeates the contrapuntal fabric but is presented most consistently and faithfully in S and T; thereafter, the chant occurs in S or B within a primarily homorhythmic style. Text in declamatory style includes occasional melismas. Perhaps unique to Marenzio’s Alma redemptoris mater setting is the omission of the chant associated with the word “alma”; instead, the piece begins with the descending fifth of the “redemptoris” motive but with the text “alma.” Final F, b♭ signature.

[2] Succurre cadenti

Polyphonic ensemble SATB


[3] Tu que genuisti

Polyphonic ensemble SSAATTBB

Associated people

Luca Marenzio - Composer

Creation place and date

No information.

Associated sources

Sung texts

Copied!

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 72 - III]

Marenzio, L., 1979, Luca Marenzio, Opera Omnia, Jackson R. J. et Meier B. (éd.), [S.l.], Neuhausen-Stuttgart.
(n° 2)

References

No information.

Contributors

Harry Elzinga - Project manager ; Scientific editor

Ailin Arjmand - Collaborative work

Share

Permalink
Copied!

https://ricercardatalab.cesr.univ-tours.fr/works/1232/

Citation
Copied!

Alma redemptoris mater [068], in RicercarDataLab [https://ricercardatalab.cesr.univ-tours.fr/works/1232/] (accessed 21 January 2026).

Last modification: Nov. 12, 2025