Ave Regina caelorum - ChoralWiki

The Ave Regina caelorum is sung as the concluding votive antiphon of the Divine Office during the pre-Lent and Lenten seasons, i.e. from the Feast of the Presentation (2nd February) until Maundy Thursday.

It appears to be of monastic origin but the author is unknown (dating from around the 12th century). Herman Contractus (+1054) is often suggested as the author, for he wrote several popular Marian antiphons around then. This antiphon is one of the traditional concluding antiphons for Compline in use since the 13th century. It is traditionally recited from the Feast of the Purification (Feb. 2) until Wednesday in Holy Week.

View the Wikipedia article on Ave Regina caelorum.

Musical settings at CPDL

Anonymous
- Ambrosian Chant ("Salve radix sancta … semper")
- Gregorian Chant
- Trent codex 87 1470's. ATT, with Gloria in top voice. ("Salve radix, ex … semper")
- Trent 89 SATTB ("Salve radix sancta … semper")
- Trent 91 ATB ("…Mater regis…")
- Musica colonial archive SATB
Gregor Aichinger
- a 3 SST ("Salve radix sancta … semper")
- a 4 (I) SATB ("Salve radix, salve porta")
- a 4 (II) SATB ("Salve radix sancta … semper")
Felice Anerio
- SATB ("Salve radix, salve porta … semper")
- Ave Regina caelorum a 8 SATB.SATB bc
Giovanni Francesco Anerio SATB All editions withdrawn
Benedict Anton Aufschnaiter SATB & orchestra
Giovanni Bassano
- a 8 AATT.TTTB or SATB.ATTB ("Salve radix et porta … semper")
- a 12 ATTB.ATBB.TBBB or SATB.SATB.SATB ("Salve radix et porta … semper")
4 Antiphonae Mariae (Franz Bühler) SATB & orchestra
William Byrd
- a 4 ATTB ("Salve radix, salve porta")
- a5 ATTTB ("Salve radix sancta … semper")
Michel' Angelo Cancineo: L'Antifona Ave Regina Cælorum in Italian SATB
Francesco Cavalli TB & bc ("porta")
Mark Chapman SSSAAA
Marc-Antoine Charpentier
- Ave Regina coelorum, H 19 SMBar & bc.
- Marc-Antoine Charpentier Solo SS & bc; identical? to Ave regina caelorum, H. 22 (Marc-Antoine Charpentier) arr. SATB a Capp.
- H 45 Antienne a la Vierge Ave Regina coelorum à 4 voix & 2 dessus de vln.
Sebastiano Cherici SAB & bc ("porta")
Loyset Compère SATB
Carlo Cozzi SAB & bc ("porta")
Guillaume Dufay (3 settings in all)
- a 3 STT, STB or ATB, also arr. SATB ("Salve radix sancta … semper")
- a 4 SATB
John Dunstable SAT ("Salve radix sancta …Ave gloriosa … semper")
Stefan Stocker SAB & organ
Carlotta Ferrari SSA
Amadio Freddi SATTB+ violin, cornetto, organ.
Fabio Fresi SAATB
Walter Frye ATB (a different text, "…Mater regis angelorum")
Robert Führer
- I SATB & orchestra
- II SATB & orchestra
Johann Joseph Fux SATB
Andrea Gabrieli SATB.ATTB or ATBB.TBBB ("Salve radix sancta … semper")
Mariano Garau
- a 2 ST & organ
- a 4 SATB
Carlo Gesualdo SATTB ("Salve radix sancta … semper")
Georges Guiraud unison (children alternating with men) & organ
Nicolas Gombert SATTB ("Salve radix sancta … gude gloriosa … semper")
Charles Gounod
- Ave Regina, CG 103 ST & organ
- Ave Regina, CG 120 TTBB
- Ave Regina, CG 121 TTBB
- Ave Regina, CG 134 SATB
Alessandro Grandi SSATB & bc ("porta"
Ciro Grassi SSA
Francisco Guerrero SATB ("Salve radix sancta … semper")
Johann Michael Haydn Ave Regina caelorum, MH 140 SATB.SATB
Oliver Hayes SATB
Josquin des Prez: Alma Redemptoris mater - Ave Regina caelorum SATB; "Ave" in middle voices

Karl Kempter SAB & organ
Pierre de la Rue SATB ("Salve radix sancta")
Orlando di Lasso (disambiguation page)
- a 3 STB (alternative Latin text)
- a 4 SATB ("Salve radix sancta … semper")
- a 5 SSATB ("Salve radix sancta … semper")
- a 6, first published 1582; CCCLVIII in 1604 collection SSATTB ("Salve radix sancta … semper")
- a 6, CCCLIX in 1604 collection SAATBB ("Salve radix sancta … semper")
Jan Le Febure SSATB ("radix et porta")
Isabella Leonarda ATTB ("Salve radix porta")
Caroline Lesemann-Elliott
- S(S)ATB
- A(A)TB
Alonso Lobo SSATB or AATBB ("Salve radix sancta … semper")
Antonio Lotti SATB
Menegali TTB
Marco Molinari SATB
Cristóbal de Morales SAATB ("Salve radix sancta … semper")
Sigismund Ritter von Neukomm SSA
José Maurício Nunes Garcia SATB & organ
Juan Gutierrez de Padilla SATB.SATB
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina 5 or 6 settings in all)
- a 4 SSSA ("Salve radix sancta … semper")
- a 5 SATTB ("Salve radix sancta … semper")
- a 8 SSAT.ATTB ("Salve radix sancta … semper")
- a 8 SATB.SATB ("Salve radix et porta … semper")
Fabrizio Perone SATB
Peter Philips SSATB
Costanzo Porta
- 4 vv SATB ("Salve radix, salve porta … semper")
- Ave Regina caelorum cum 5 vocibus ATTBB ("Salve radix sancta … semper")
Leonel Power ATB ("Salve radix sancta … semper")
Jeffrey Quick SSA or TTB
Josef Rheinberger Op. 140 Nr. 4 SATB (organ ad lib.) a duplicate(?) of the collections:
- 5 Hymnen Op. 140
- Carmina sacra
Giovanni Battista Riccio Solo voice & bc
Giovanni Antonio Rigatti S solo & continuo
Andrea Rota
- a 6 SAATTB
- a 8 SATB.SATB
Giovanni Rovetta
- SB and continuo
- SS and continuo
- TTB and continuo
Georg Valentin Röder from Vespers, SATB with orchestra
Antonio Sacchini S & org.
Juan García de Salazar SATB
Johannes Nepomuk Skraup SATB & bc
Francesco Soriano SATB
Francisco Valls SATB.SATB & bc
Tomás Luis de Victoria
- a 5 SAATB
- a 8 SATB.SATB
Scott Villard SATB
Samuel Webbe
- SATB & organ
- SS & organ
- SATB, with SATB soli & organ
Adrian Willaert SATB ("Salve, radix sancta")
- (not to be confused with Ave Regina coelorum, Mater…)
Jan Dismas Zelenka
- Ave Regina coelorum No. 4, ZWV 128.4 SATB & bc

Other settings possibly not included in the manual list above

Johann Kaspar Aiblinger — Ave Regina I
Johann Kaspar Aiblinger — Ave Regina II
Felice Anerio — Ave Regina caelorum a 8
Jacques-Louis Battmann — Ave Regina caelorum
Giacomo Benincasa — Ave Regina caelorum
Giuseppe Antonio Bernabei — Ave Regina caelorum
Hugo de la Chapelle — Ave regina
Giovanni Battista Chinelli — Ave Regina caelorum
Guillaume Dufay — Ave Regina coelorum II
Costanzo Festa — Ave regina
Mariano Garau — Ave Regina coelorum 2020
Mariano Garau — Ave Regina coelorum III
Elzear Genet — Ave Regina caelorum
Eliseo Ghibel — Ave regina
Charles Gounod — Ave Regina, CG 119
Peter Griesbacher — Ave Regina caelorum
Bernard Hellebusch — Ave, Regina coelorum no. 1
Jacobus de Kerle — Ave regina
Pierre La Fage — Ave regina caelorum
Jacquet de Mantua — Ave regina
Diego Ortiz — Ave regina
Peter Philips — Ave Regina caelorum a 5
Andreas de Silva — Ave regina caelorum
Maximilian Stadler — Ave, Regina coelorum

Text and translations

The text of this antiphon appears to have remained fairly unchanged since the 12th century, lines 3 & 8 being standardized as noted below in the Breviary of Pope Clement VIII, published in 1602. Dufay's setting is unique in ending with an Alleluia, which probably stems from the earlier use of the antiphon at the Annunciation.

Latin text

Ave Regina coelorum,
Ave Domina Angelorum:
Salve radix, salve porta, [or Salve, radix sancta,]
Ex qua mundo lux est orta:

Gaude Virgo gloriosa,
Super omnes speciosa,
Vale, o valde decora,
Et pro nobis Christum [semper] exora.

English translation

Hail, Queen of Heaven.
Hail, Lady of Angels
Hail, root, hail, gate [hail, holy root]
From whom unto the world a light has arisen:

Rejoice, glorious Virgin,
Lovely beyond all others,
Farewell, most beautiful maiden,
And [ever] pray for us to Christ.

Spanish translation

Salve, reina de los cielos,
Salve, señora de los ángeles,
Salve, raíz santa,
de quien nació la luz al mundo.

Alégrate, Virgen gloriosa,
entre todas la más bella.
Salve a tí, la más hermosa.
Ruega siempre a Cristo por nosotros.

Vietnamese translation

Kính lạy Bà, Vị Nữ Hoàng Thiên Quốc,
Lạy Nữ Vương trên chín phẩm thiên thần,
Là Cội Thiêng là Cửa Trời vinh phúc,
Đem Vầng Hồng rực rỡ xuống trần gian.

Mừng vui lên, mừng vui lên Trinh Nữ,
Bà hiển vinh, Bà diễm lệ khôn tày.
Bên toà Chúa Kitô, Ngôi Thánh Tử,
Cúi lạy Bà, xin nguyện giúp cầu thay.

Caswall's 77. 77 metric paraphrase text

Hail, O Queen of Heav'n enthron'd,
Hail, by angels Mistress own'd
Root of Jesse, Gate of morn,
Whence the world's true light was born.

Glorious Virgin, joy to thee,
Loveliest whom in Heaven they see,
Fairest thou where all are fair!
Plead with Christ our sins to spare.

Translation by Edward Caswall from preces-latinae.org

In the context of Compline a versicle & response as well as a collect follow, rarely if ever set to music:

℣ Dignare me laudare te Virgo sacrata

℟ Da mihi virtutem contra hostes tuos.

V. Allow me to praise thee, holy Virgin. R. Give me strength against thy enemies.