Alma redemptoris mater [084]

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

Full title / Other titles

AR084 Alma redemptoris mater 8 vv

Type

Motet

Scores

Alma redemptoris mater

Polyphonic ensemble SSAATTBB

Two equal choirs. C-G2; A-C2; T-C3; B-F3. High clefs. Entire range, B♭-f’’. Abbreviated “Alma” intonation (T) of Chr. I, differs from
App. 1. Chant quoted throughout the setting permeates the polyphonic fabric. Peculiar to the antiphon are the lengthy textual/musical sections: Chr. I, “redemptoris…maris,” (mm. 1-22), four overlapping textual musical segments; Chr. II, “succurre…populo,” (mm. 23-44), four overlapping textual/musical segments; Chr. I, “Tu…genitorum,” (mm. 43-56, four overlapping segments. On the other hand, section four, “virgo…miserere,” (lmm. 56-89) includes both imitative and homophonic/homorhythmic passages (e.g., “Gabrielis”) within an antiphonal time frame of 2-6 breves. Tutti segments are limited to “Gabrielis (mm. 63-6) and “miserere” (mm. 85-9). Each choir is harmonically independent. Declamatory text setting combines syllabic and melismatic styles. Final F, b♭ signature.

Description

The authenticity of this setting as a work by Palestrina cannot be verified. I-Rc Mss. 2852 is an early 19th-century source “formerly belonging to Giuseppe Baini, made with reference to sources apparently derived in part from the archive of the Cappella Giulia and which, though known to Haberl, are now thought to be lost.” (Clara Marvin, 2002, p.103)

External link:
CPDL 54037 [Choral Public Domain Library]

Associated people

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina - Composer

Creation place and date

No information.

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

[Palestrina, 1987, vol. 34]

Palestrina, G. P. da, 1987, Le opere complete, Casimiri R. (éd.), Rome.
(n° 3)

[Pierluigi da Palestrina's Werke 6]

Palestrina, P. da, 1968, Pierluigi da Palestrina’s Werke, Haberl F. X. et Espagne F. (éd.), Leipzig.
(n° 35)

References

[Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina]

Marvin, C., 2002, Giovanni Pierluigi Da Palestrina: A Research Guide, New York.
(p. 103)

Contributors

Harry Elzinga - Project manager ; Scientific editor

Ailin Arjmand - Collaborative work

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Alma redemptoris mater [084], in RicercarDataLab [https://ricercardatalab.cesr.univ-tours.fr/works/1248/] (accessed 21 January 2026).

Last modification: Jan. 20, 2026