ALTERNATIM Y SIMBOLISMO EN LOS MAGNÍFICAT DE PROCEDENCIA HISPANA EN EL SIGLO XVI

The edition of the book Missae, Magnificat Motecta, Psalmi & alia in 1600 by Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611) was a milestone in the history of editing and performance in the Iberian Peninsula. Its innovations are a reflection of a new aesthetic that shows the decline or transformation of the above. Taking as reference the Magnificat and the new use of all verses in polyphony with an accurate indication of the organ in this work, we analyse the tradition of its performance in the sixteenth century as reflected in the Hispanic sources preserved. The study of a variety of documentary evidence (ceremonials, theoretical treatises, and vocal and instrumental practical sources) reveals a performance in alternatim by voice and organ reserved for Sundays and festive days. The text selection for adapting vocal polyphony in the most important Feast days gradually evolves from the balance or freedom in the first half of the century to an insistence on imposing vocal polyphony for odd verses at the end of the century. The influence of the Council of Trent and the increasing importance of the text will transform not only the selection of the verses, but also the role of the organ and the composition itself, which will reflect on the meaning of the Canticle using several techniques. The Magnificat settings by Tomás Luis de Victoria printed in 1576, 1581 and 1600 are shown as examples of this evolution.