Ave regina caelorum [141]

Matthias Werrecore

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AC141 1.p. Ave regina caelorum 5 vv ; [2.p.] Gaude gloriosa 5 vv

Type

Motet

Scores

[1] Ave regina caelorum

Polyphonic ensemble SATBX

C-G2; A-C2; T-C3; Q-C3; B-C4. High clefs. Entire range, c-g’’. For the first phrase, “ave…coelorum,” chant appears intact in Q and C with new material in an imitative contrapuntal texture; thereafter, the plainsong melody initiates most textual phrases but is treated with freedom as the lines unfold. A five-voice texture primarily prevails except for the first phrase of each pars and the introduction of “vale…decora” where a four-measure passage for the three upper voices is restated an octave lower by the three lower voices. The “salve” motto (la-sol-la-re) from Salve regina chant is present in the B with “salve radix” (mm. 40-1) followed by altered versions (B-mm 43-4 and 50-1 and A-mm 48-9). To introduce “et pro nobis” (mm. 128-40) Werrecore presents a series of chords that includes a cross relationship (a, G, B♭, a, d). The Pre-Tridentine text is in declamatory style with occasional lengthy melismas. Final C.
[2] Gaude gloriosa

Polyphonic ensemble SATBX

Associated people

Matthias Werrecore - Composer

Creation place and date

No information.

Associated sources

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

[Hermann Matthias Werrecore Cantuum quinque vocum quos motetta vocant . . . liber primus (1559)]

Werrecore, M., 2008, Cantuum Quinque Vocum Quos Motetta Vocant . . . Liber Primus (1559), Getz C. S. (éd.), Middleton, Wisconson.
(n° 8)

References

No information.

Contributors

Harry Elzinga - Project manager ; Scientific editor

Ailin Arjmand - Collaborative work

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Ave regina caelorum [141], in RicercarDataLab [https://ricercardatalab.cesr.univ-tours.fr/works/1457/] (accessed 23 January 2026).

Last modification: Dec. 12, 2025