This edition was prepared by James Gibb — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Amicus meus
Staff Notation • Sacred, Tenebrae responsories
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4 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
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Amicus meus by Tomás Luis de Victoria — Lyrics
Amicus meus osculi me tradidit signo:
Quem osculatus fuero, ipse est, tenete eum:
hoc malum fecit signum, qui per osculum adimplevit homicidium.
Infelix prætermisit pretium sanguinis, et in fine laqueo se suspendit.
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About Amicus meus
Tomás Luis de Victoria was one of the foremost composers of the Spanish Renaissance. Amicus meus is a Tenebrae responsory, a genre of sacred music associated with the Holy Week liturgy. Victoria explores the dramatic narrative of Judas' betrayal with intense emotional depth. The Latin text speaks of the friend who betrayed Christ with a kiss, of the disciple's failure to recognize the sign, and of Judas' ultimate despair and suicide. The music vividly portrays these events, moving from moments of profound sadness and accusation to a final reflection on the tragic outcome. Victoria employs rich, imitative polyphony across various voicings, including SATB, ATTB, and ATBB, to convey the gravity and pathos of the text.
