Tomás Luis de Victoria (sometimes spelled with Italian names as da Vittoria; around 1548 – between August 20 and 27, 1611) was the most well-known Spanish composer of the Renaissance. He was one of the most important composers of the late Renaissance, along with Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina and Orlande de Lassus. His music was especially known for the strong emotions in some of his motets and religious works. His body of work, unlike that of his colleagues, includes mostly sacred music with multiple voices singing at the same time, written in Latin. As a Catholic priest, as well as an experienced organist and singer, his career included work in both Spain and Italy. However, he chose to focus on composing music rather than performing.

Life and career

Tomás Luis de Victoria was born around 1548, most likely in Ávila, the main home of his family at that time. His birthplace is still unclear because his baptismal record has never been found. Some people believe he was born in Sanchidrián, but the Victorias did not live there until later, when Tomás’ oldest brother moved there with his family and his mother. In Tomás’ childhood, Sanchidrián was only one of many rural properties owned by the family.

The Luis de Victoria family’s origins on the father’s side can only be traced back to Tomás’ grandfather, Hernán Luis Dávila, who first appeared in Ávila in the early 1500s. The name Victoria comes from Hernán’s wife, Leonor de Vitoria. At that time, Spanish families often combined their surnames, choosing one or using both. The family used the original spelling “Vitoria” except for Tomás, who used the Latin version “Victoria.”

Hernán Luis Dávila was a successful cloth merchant who invested his money in buying many properties in Ávila province. His work as a merchant, his property investments, and the family’s later involvement in banking suggest they may have had Jewish heritage, but there is no proof of this. The Victorias lived on Calle de los Caballeros, a street filled with shops for wool and silk, across from their parish church, San Juan Bautista, and near the city’s main market square. Their house still stands today, and the tombs of Tomás’ parents and grandparents are at San Juan.

Victoria was the seventh of nine children born to Francisco Luis de Vitoria and Francisca Suárez de la Concha. His mother’s family were wealthy wool merchants and bankers of Jewish origin, based in Segovia. Francisca’s great-grandfather, Jacob Galfón, briefly moved his family to Portugal after the expulsion of Jews in 1492 but returned to Segovia with royal permission, converting to Christianity and taking the name Pedro Suárez de la Concha. The Suárez de la Concha family later became nobles and earned the title Marqués de Lozoya.

Francisco, Tomás’ father, had a successful business as a notary in Ávila and earned money from rents on family land and from lending money. However, he often gambled, which led to a decline in the family’s wealth. After Francisco’s death, his oldest son, Hernán, sold the family home in Ávila and moved to their estate in Sanchidrián. This was only a short problem, and the Victorias soon recovered their wealth, becoming more involved in banking with their Suárez de la Concha relatives and others in Medina del Campo, the financial center of Castile at the time. During this difficult period, Hernán shared his inheritance with his siblings, ensuring they received education and support. This helped Tomás, who also received early music training at Ávila’s cathedral school with the help of his uncle, Juan Luis de Vitoria, a priest.

After his father’s death in 1557, Juan Luis became Tomás’ guardian. He was a choirboy in Ávila Cathedral. Records show that Juan Luis gave the Church a book called Liber Primus and reminded them that Victoria had been raised in the cathedral. Because he was an excellent organist, many believe he started learning to play the keyboard at a young age in Ávila. Victoria likely studied classical subjects at St. Giles’s, a boys’ school in Ávila. This school was praised by St. Teresa of Ávila and other respected musicians.

In 1565, Victoria received a grant from King Philip II and went to Rome, where he became a cantor at the German College founded by St. Ignatius Loyola. He may have studied with Palestrina, though there is no direct proof. He was certainly influenced by Palestrina’s musical style. From 1573, Victoria held two positions: one at the German College and another at the Pontifical Roman Seminary. He worked as a chapelmaster and taught plainsong. In 1571, he was hired as a teacher at the German College and began earning a regular income. After Palestrina left the Seminary, Victoria took over as its maestro. He was ordained a priest in 1574 by Bishop Thomas Goldwell. Before this, he became a deacon, but he did not stay in that role for long. In 1575, Victoria was named Maestro di Capella at S. Apollinare. Church officials often asked for his advice on cathedral appointments because of his fame and knowledge. He remained the convent organist even after becoming a professional organist. He did not stay in Italy forever.

In 1587, King Philip II allowed Victoria to return to Spain, naming him chaplain to his sister, the Dowager Empress María, who lived in retirement with her daughter, Princess Margarita, at the Monasterio de las Descalzas de St. Clara in Madrid since 1581. In 1591, Victoria became a godfather to his brother Juan Luis’s daughter, Isabel de Victoria. He worked for 24 years at Descalzas Reales, serving as chaplain to the Empress for 17 years until her death, and then as the convent’s organist. He earned more money at Descalzas Reales than he would have as a cathedral chapelmaster, receiving income from absentee benefices from 1587 to 1611. After the Empress died in 1603, she left three chaplaincies in the convent, one of which went to Victoria. Victoria said he never accepted extra pay for being a chapelmaster and chose to be the organist instead. His high reputation allowed him to travel frequently from the convent. He visited Rome in 1593 for two years and attended Palestrina’s funeral in 1594. He died in 1611 in the chaplain’s residence and was buried at the convent, though his tomb has not yet been identified.

Music

Victoria was an important composer during the Counter-Reformation in Spain and one of the most respected composers of sacred music in the late Renaissance. He focused only on sacred music throughout his career. His music showed his personality, including the deep emotions found in Spanish religious traditions. Father Martini praised Victoria for his beautiful melodies and creative musical ideas. His works became popular again in the 20th century, with many recordings made recently. Many people notice a strong spiritual feeling and emotional power in his music, which some say was missing in the calmer music of Palestrina. Their styles differ in how they use melody and certain musical notes.

Victoria was skilled at having different groups of singers perform overlapping parts, gradually reducing the rhythmic differences between them. He wrote complex parts for singers and often treated the organ like a soloist in his choral pieces. He did not start the practice of writing psalm settings or antiphons for two choirs, but he helped make these works more popular. He reprinted his earlier works and made changes in each new version.

Victoria published his first book of motets in 1572. In 1585, he created Officium Hebdomadae Sanctae, a collection of 37 pieces used during Holy Week in Catholic ceremonies, including 18 motets from the Tenebrae Responsories.

Two people who influenced Victoria were Giovanni Maria Nanino and Luca Marenzio, whom he admired for their madrigal compositions rather than church music. It is believed he studied with Escobedo before moving to Rome.

Victoria said he created his most important works under the support of Otto, Cardinal von Truchsess. However, Stevenson did not think Victoria learned everything about music during this time. While working for Philip II of Spain, Victoria felt tired from his musical efforts. Many of his pieces dedicated to Cardinal Michele Bonelli, Philip II, or Pope Gregory XIII were not properly paid for.

Victoria’s music avoided the complex layering of melodies used by many of his peers. Instead, he preferred simple, clear lines and used rhythmic changes to add variety. His use of melody and unusual notes was more flexible than Palestrina’s, sometimes including intervals not allowed in strict 16th-century rules, such as rising major sixths or diminished fourths (as seen in his motet Sancta Maria, succurre). He also used dramatic musical techniques, similar to those in madrigals. Some of his sacred music included instruments, a common practice in Spanish sacred music of the time. He also wrote polychoral works, where multiple groups of singers performed in different locations, a style also used by composers in Venice.

His most famous work, Officium Defunctorum, is a Requiem Mass written for Empress Maria.

Works

The number of voices is shown in parentheses.

• Alma redemptoris mater (8)
• Ascendens Christus (5)
• Ave maris stella (4)
• Ave regina coelorum (8)
• De Beata Maria Virgine (5)
• Dum complerentur (6)
• Gaudeamus (6)
• Laetatus sum (12)
• O magnum mysterium (4)
• O quam gloriosum (4)
• Pro defunctis (4)
• Pro defunctis (6)
• Pro Victoria (9)
• Quam pulchri sunt (4)
• Quarti toni (4)
• Salve regina (8)
• Simile est regnum coelorum (4)
• Surge propera (5)
• Trahe me post te (5)
• Vidi speciosam (6)

• Dominicalis (4)
• Pange lingua (4)

Magnificat (some include only odd verses, some only even verses, and a few include all verses).

• primi toni (4)
• secondi toni (4)
• tertii toni (4)
• quarti toni (4)
• quinti toni (4)
• sexti toni (4)
• septimi toni (4)
• octavi toni (4)

• primi toni (8)
• sexti toni (12)

• Cogitavit Dominus (4)
• Ego vir videns (5)
• Et egressus est (4)
• Incipit lamentation Jeremiae (4)
• Incipit oratio Jeremiae (6)
• Manum suam (5)
• Matribus suis dixerunt (4)
• Misericordiae Domini (4)
• Quomodo obscuratum (4)

• Beati immaculati
• Benedicam Dominum
• Date ei de fructu
• Doctor bonus amicus Dei Andreas
• Domine non sum dignus
• Duo seraphim clamabant
• Ecce sacerdos magnus
• Ego sum panis vivus
• Estote fortes in bello
• Gaudent in coelis animae Sanctorum
• Hic vir despiciens mundum
• Iste sanctus pro lege
• Magi viderunt stellam
• Ne timeas, Maria
• O decus apostolicum
• O doctor optime
• O magnum mysterium
• O quam gloriosum est regnum
• O quam metuendus
• O regnum coeli
• O sacrum convivium
• O vos omnes
• Pueri Hebraeorum
• Quam pulchri sunt gressus tui
• Sancta Maria, succurre miseris
• Senex puerum portabat
• Veni, sponsa Christi
• Vere languores nostros

• Ascendens Christus in altum
• Cum beatus Ignatius
• Descendit angelus Domini
• Dum complerentur dies Pentecostes
• Ecce Dominus veniet
• Gaude, Maria virgo
• O lux et decus Hispaniae
• Resplenduit facies ejus

• Ardens est cor meum
• Beata es Virgo Maria
• Benedicta sit Sancta Trinitas
• Congratulamini mihi
• Nigra sum
• O Domine Jesu Christe
• O sacrum convivium
• Quem vidistis, pastores
• Surrexit Pastor Bonus
• Trahe me post te
• Tu es Petrus
• Vadam, et circuibo civitatem
• Vidi speciosam
• Versa est in luctum

• Ave Maria
• Domine in virtute tua
• O Ildephonse
• Vidi speciosam

• Benedictus Dominus
• Nunc dimittis (4)
• Nunc dimittis (5)

(All 4 voices except Tantum ergo, 5)

• Ad caenam agni provide
• Ad preces nostras
• Aurea luce et decore
• Ave maris stella (even verses)
• Ave maris stella (odd verses)
• Christe redemptor omnium I
• Christe redemptor omnium II
• Conditor alme siderum
• Decus egregie Paule
• Deus tuorum militum
• Exultet caelum laudibus
• Hostis Herodes impie
• Huius obtentu Deus
• Iste confessor
• Jesu corona virginum
• Jesu nostra redemptio
• Lauda mater Ecclisia
• Lucis creator optime
• O lux beata Trinitas
• Pange lingua I
• Pange lingua II
• Quicumque Christum queritis
• Quodcumque vinclis (also Petrus beatus catenarum)
• Rex gloriose martyrum
• Salvete flores martyrum
• Sanctorum meritis
• Tantum ergo sacramentum(5)
• Te Deum laudamus
• Te lucis ante terminum
• Tibi Christe splendor patris
• Tristes errant apostoli
• Urbs beata Jerusalem
• Veni creator spiritus
• Vexilla Regis prodeunt I
• Vexilla Regis prodeunt II

(odd or even verses, 4 voices)

• Primi toni (4)
• Secondi toni (4)
• Terti toni (4)
• Quarti toni (4)
• Quinti toni (4)
• Sexti toni (4)
• Septime toni (4)
• Octavi toni (4)

• Primi toni (8 voices)
• Sexti toni (12 voices)

• Incipit lamentation Jeremiae (4)
• Et egressus est (4)
• Manum suam (5)

• Cogitavit Domino's (4)
• Matribus suis dixerunt (4)
• Ego vir videns (5)

• Misericordiae Domini (4)
• Quomodo obscuratum (4)
• Incipit oratio Jeremiae (6)

• Taedet animam meam

• de beata Virgine

• St. Matthew
• St. John

(Number, voices, [Mode, verses])

• Nisi Dominus (126, 8)
• Super flumina Babylonis (136, 8)
• Dixit Dominus (109, 8)
• Laudate pueri Dominum (112,

Selected recordings

The following are recordings of music composed by Tomás Luis de Victoria. In all of his music, the words are written in Latin and are taken from the Roman Catholic Church's religious services.

• Victoria, Tenebrae Responsories. Performers: Pro Cantione Antiqua. Record label: Deutsche Harmonia Mundi. CD number: GD77056
• Victoria, Et Jesum. Performers: Carlos Mena and Juan Carlos Rivera. Record label: Harmonia Mundi Iberica. CD number: 987042
• Victoria, Officium Defunctorum. Performers: Musica Ficta and Raúl Mallavibarrena. Record label: Enchiriadis. CD number: EN 2006
• Victoria, Sacred Works. Performers: Ensemble Plus Ultra. Record label: DGG Archiv. CD number: DDD 0289 477 9747 0 AM 10
• Victoria, Tenebrae Responsories. Performers: The Tallis Scholars. Record label: Gimell Records. CD number: CDGIM 022
• Victoria, Lamentations of Jeremiah. Performers: The Tallis Scholars. Record label: Gimell Records. CD number: CDGIM 043
• Victoria, Gesualdo, Palestrina, White, Lamentations. Performers: Nordic Voices. Record label: CHANDOS. CD number: CHAN 0763
• Victoria, Misas y Motetes. Performers: Ars Combinatoria and Canco López. Record label: Musaris. CD number: Mars 03-21161/16

An article about some of these recordings was published in March 2011 by Gramophone.