Ave Maria (Tomás Luis de Victoria)

Composer: Tomás Luis de Victoria
Editior: Ko Matsushita

Editor’s note:

This is one of a series of new arrangements of Renaissance choral works, many of which are for mixed chorus and male chorus, transcribed for SSAA chorus.

I transcribed Ave Maria, a masterpiece by the Spanish master Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611). The composer wrote two works of the same title, one in four voices and the other in eight voices, but this time I arranged and edited the four-voice version.

Renaissance works are based on beautiful polyphonic forms, but this piece has many homophonic sections, so I think that beginners can easily enjoy this piece.

The polyphonic form of this piece is easy to understand, making this piece a good introduction for women’s choirs, which usually find it difficult to take up music from this period.