Ave regina caelorum [122]

Mathieu Sohier

Full title / Other titles

AC122 1.p. Ave regina caelorum 4 vv ; 2.p. Gaude gloriosa 4 vv

Type

Motet

Scores

[1] Ave regina caelorum

Polyphonic ensemble STBX

S-G2; Ct-C2; T-C3; B-C4. High clefs. Entire range, c-g’’. The paraphrased chant (App. 2) appears in the S and particularly permeates the texture of “ave…angelorum” and “gaude gloriosa.” Within a polyphonic texture new material is imitated in the three lower voices. Pre-Tridentine text is primarily cast in a melismatic style notably for the salutations “ave” and “salve.” The “salve” motto (la-sol-la-re) from Salve regina chant manifests itself in the B (mm. 21 and 25) and A (mm. 23 and 26) with “salve radix.” Contrasting with the previous material, the final phrase “et pro…exora” is in triple mensuration. Final C.
[2] Gaude gloriosa

Polyphonic ensemble STBX

Description

Sohier’s Ave regina caelorum, one of seventeen Marian antiphons included in Pierre Attaingnant’s print of 1535, was intended for use at Salve services in honor of the Virgin. Pierre Attaingnant’s print (1535|4) consists entirely of seventeen settings of three Marian antiphons, (2 Ave regina caelorum, 8 Regina caeli and 7 Salve regina). As its title indicates (“musicales ad virginem christiparam salutationes”), Attaingnant compiled these works for use at Salve services in honor of the Virgin. The seventeen antiphons, attributed to French and Franco-Flemish composers, include the respective chant quotations, often paraphrased, within an imitative, polyphonic texture. Only two of the antiphons had been published prior to Attaingnant’s Lib. Duodecimus: Josquin’s 5-voice Salve regina (SR128) and J. Richafort’s 5-voice Salve regina (SR230). Willaert’s 5-voice Regina caeli (RC222) first appeared in 1535|4, but was also published in subsequent printed editions. The remainder of the antiphons are available only in Attaingnant’s publication: M. Sohier, AC122; M. Georget, AC052; M. Sohier, SR237; M. Sohier, RC199; P. Moulu, RC148; J. Rousée, RC195; Gombert, RC090; P. Vermont, RC209; F. Bourguignon, RC035; A. De Silva, RC061; C. de Sermisy, SR236; J. Conseil, SR066; J. Lhéritier, SR148; and H. Barra, SR034.

Associated people

Mathieu Sohier - Composer

Creation place and date

No information.

Sung texts

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Ave, regina caelorum,
Ave, domina angelorum:
Salve, radix, salve, porta,
Ex qua mundo lux est orta:

Gaude, virgo gloriosa,
Super omnes speciosa,
Vale, o valde decora,
Et pro nobis Christum exora.

***

Pre-Tridentine version:

Ave regina coelorum,
Ave, domina angelorum,
Salve radix sancta
Ex qua mundo lux est orta:

Gaude gloriosa,
Super omnes speciosa:
Vale, valde decora,
Et pro nobis semper Christum exora.
Et pro nobis Christum exora.

***

Tridentine version:

Ave regina coelorum
Ave, domina angelorum,
Salve radix, salve porta
Ex qua mundo lux est orta:

Gaude virgo gloriosa,
Super omnes speciosa:
Vale, o valde decora,
Et pro nobis Christum exora.

Bibliography

Modern editions

[Smijers, 1934]

Smijers, A. (éd.), 1934, Treize Livres de Motets Parus Chez Pierre Attaingnant En 1534 et 1535, Paris and Monaco.
(n° 1)

References

No information.

Contributors

Harry Elzinga - Project manager ; Scientific editor

Ailin Arjmand - Collaborative work

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Ave regina caelorum [122], in RicercarDataLab [https://ricercardatalab.cesr.univ-tours.fr/works/1438/] (accessed 20 January 2026).

Last modification: Dec. 11, 2025