Salve regina [230]

Jean Richafort

Full title / Other titles

SR230 Salve regina 5 vv ; 2.p. Eia ergo 4 vv ; 3.p. Et Jesum 5 vv

Type

Motet

Scores

[1] Salve regina

Polyphonic ensemble SATTB

S-C1; A-C4; T I-C4; T II-C4; B-F4. Paraphrased chant[1] (App. 4) permeates the imitative, contrapuntal texture. The pitch parameter (d-e♭’) for the “nobis” motive (d, a, b♭, a) is established in T I (mm. 156-9) but in the following mm. 158-66 scalar passages in semiminums embrace the motive. Cantus firmus treatment defines verses 7, “O clemens,” (A, mm. 178-86) and 8 “O pia” (B, mm. 187-95). To complement the identical plainsong for verses 1 and 2, the entire texture for “vita…” (mm. 19-36) is a repetition of mm. 1-18 (“salve…”).[2] The tripartite structure of the antiphon is emphasized by reduction of voices (A, T I, T II, B). The word “mater” is omitted in verse 1. Declamatory text setting prevails. Final g, b♭ signature.

1. The source for the chant is most likely Cambrai, Médiathèque Municipale, XVI C 4 (ca. 1508-18), ff. 227v-8, or an antiphonary with a similar disposition of the plainsong.

2. Salve regina settings by Arcadelt, SR021 Beausseron, SR037, Josquin, SR127, Misonne, SR172, Palestrina, SR195, Praetorius, SR216, Reiner, SR225 Sermisy, SR236, and anonymous settings SR339, SR349, SR358, SR376, SR382, SR393, SR395 and SR476 follow the same procedure.
[2] Eia ergo

Polyphonic ensemble

[3] Et Jesum

Polyphonic ensemble SATTB

Description

Richafort’s Salve regina, 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.


External link:
CPDL 46348 [Choral Public Domain Library]

Associated people

Jean Richafort - Composer

Creation place and date

No information.

Sung texts

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Salve, regina, mater misericordiae;

Vita, dulcedo et spes nostra, salve.

Ad te clamamus exsules filii Hevae.

Ad te suspiramus gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum valle.

Eia ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte.

Et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.

O clemens,

O pia,

O dulcis virgo Maria.

Bibliography

Modern editions

[CMM 81]

Richafort, J., 1999, Johannes Richafort, Opera Omnia, Elzinga H. (éd.).
(n° 23)

[Smijers, 1934]

Smijers, A. (éd.), 1934, Treize Livres de Motets Parus Chez Pierre Attaingnant En 1534 et 1535, Paris and Monaco.
(n° 17)

References

No information.

Contributors

Harry Elzinga - Project manager ; Scientific editor

Ailin Arjmand - Collaborative work

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Salve regina [230], in RicercarDataLab [https://ricercardatalab.cesr.univ-tours.fr/works/2179/] (accessed 21 January 2026).

Last modification: Nov. 26, 2025