Alma redemptoris mater [133]

Christian Erbach

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AR133 Alma redemptoris mater 6 vv

Scores

Polyphonic ensemble SSATTB

C I-G2; C II-G2; A-C2; T I-C3; T II-C3; B-F3. High clefs. Entire range, c-a’’. Two equal C and T voice parts. Brief references to chant (App. 1) introduce textual phrases or accompany specific words but only in one voice: “Alma” (C I, mm. 3-5); “redemptoris” (T II, mm. 9-11); “et stella” (A, mm. 33-5). A dense polyphonic texture with brief imitative segments persists throughout the antiphon; short melodic/rhythmic motives of semiminums and fusae accompany “peccatorum miserere” create a particularly dense texture (mm. 91-6). “Tu quae genuisti,” the initial words of line 3 are articulated with silence before and after “Tu” in individual voices. Text repetition with development of musical material generates a substantial setting of 100 measures. Specific words are emphasized and depicted musically (e.g., rising melismas of semiminums and fusae are associated with “surgure,” C I, C II, T I & T II). Final C.

Associated people

Christian Erbach - Composer

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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.

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Contributors

Harry Elzinga - Project manager ; Scientific editor

Ailin Arjmand - Collaborative work

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Alma redemptoris mater [133], in RicercarDataLab [https://ricercardatalab.cesr.univ-tours.fr/works/1297/] (accessed 23 January 2026).

Last modification: Nov. 14, 2025