Victoria, Tomas Luis de 01/01/1549 - 01/01/1611

Tomas Luis de Victoria (1549-1611), Spanish composer, wrote music only for religious occasions, being convinced that music's mission was to praise God.



He was born in Ávila and was friends with Saint Theresa, who was also born there. He began his musical education as a choirboy in the Ávila Cathedral. At the age of seventeen he travelled to Rome, where he intended to pursue a career as a priest, but soon turned to music. He was active as maestro di cappella at a Spanish church in Rome and then became Palestrina's successor as the musical director of the Roman seminar.



In 1595 he returned to Spain, where he became chaplain for the Empress Maria. After her death in 1603 he composed the Requiem, considered his most beautiful work; it was also his last.



He was friends with Palestrina, whose influence can plainly be felt, but his compositions often have an ardent, fiery content, a dramatic affirmation of faith, which affects one more intensely than the compositions of his contemporary.