Requiem aeternam, a motet, from the album: All souls' vespers (cd: Virgin 5 455203 2).

♫ Requiem aeternam
© Virgin 5 455203 2

Agenda Defunctorum (Sevilla 1556) contains:
I. Ad matutimum
II. Ad laudes
III. Ad missam
IV. Absolutio pro defunctis

This Officium Defunctorum Ad matutinum and Missae pro Defunctis contain:

01.Invitatorium: Regem cui omnia vivunt.

In primo nocturno
02. Antiphona: Dirige, Domine.
Salmo: Verba mea auribus percipe. Canto Gregoriano
03. Antiphona: Convertere, Domine.
Salmo: Domine ne in furore tuo. Canto Gregoriano
Salmo: Domine deus meus. Canto Gregoriano
04. Antiphona: Nequando rapiat.
05. A Porta Inferi
06. Lectio I: Parce mihi Domine.
Responsio: Credo quod Redemptor meus. Canto Gregoriano
07. Lectio II: Taedet animam meam vitae meae.
Responsio: Qui Lazarum. Canto Gregoriano
08. Lectio III: Manus tuae, Domine, fecerunt me.
Responsio: Domine, quando veneris. Canto Gregoriano

In secundo nocturno
09. Antiphona: In Loco pascuae.
Salmo: Dominus regit me Canto Gregoriano
10. Antiphona: Delicta.
Salmo: Ad te Domine levavi Canto Gregoriano
11. Antiphona: Credo videre.
Salmo: Dominus illumination mea. Canto Gregoriano
12.Lectio IV: Responde mihi.
Responsio: Heu mihi Domine. Canto Gregoriano
Lectio V: Homo natus
Responsio: Ne recorderis. Canto Gregoriano
Lectio VI: Quis mihi hoc tribuat.
Responsio: Libera me Domine de viis Canto Gregoriano

In tertio nocturno
13. Antiphona: Complaceat tibi.
Salmo: Exspectans expectavi Canto Gregoriano
14. Antihpona: Sana, Domine.
Salmo: Sana Domine. Canto Gregoriano
15. Antiphona: Sitivit anima mea.
Salmo: Quem admodum desiderat Canto Gregoriano
16. Lectio VII: Spiritus meus.
Responsio: Peccantem me quotidine Canto Gregoriano
Lectio XIII: Pelli meae.
Responso: Memento mei Canto Gregoriano
Lectio IX:
17. Responsorium: Libera me, Domine.

Ad Laudes
Cinco antifonas con sus salmas Canto Gregoriano
Antifona ad Benedictus:
Ego sum resurrection et vita Canto Gregoriano

18.Cantium Zachariae:
Psalmus: Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel.
Versus: Et erexit cornu salutis nobis.

Absolutio pro defunctis
19. Responsorium: Requiescant in pace. Amen.

♫ 01.Invitatorium: Regem cui omnia vivunt
© Almaviva DS-0122


♫ 02. Antiphona: Dirige, Domine
© Almaviva DS-0122


♫ 03. Antiphona: Convertere, Domine
© Almaviva DS-0122


♫ 04. Antiphona: Nequando rapiat
© Almaviva DS-0122


♫ 05. A Porta Inferi
© Almaviva DS-0122


♫ 06. Lectio I: Parce mihi Domine
© Almaviva DS-0122


♫ 07. Lectio II: Taedet animam meam vitae meae
© Almaviva DS-0122


♫ 08. Lectio III: Manus tuae, Domine, fecerunt me
© Almaviva DS-0122


♫ 17/18 Ego sum resurrection et vita & Benedictus - Dominus Deus Israel
© Almaviva DS-0122

Ad missam:
01. Introitus: Requiem aeternam
- Psalmus: Requiem aeternam
- Versus: dona eis Domine.
- Psalmus: Te decet hymnus Deus in Sion.
02. Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison. Kyrie eleison.
03. Graduale: Requiem aeternam.
- Psalmus: Requiem aeternam.
- Versus: In memoriam aeternam. Requiem à 3 vocibus.
04. Tractus: Sicut cervus.
05. Offertorium: Domine Jesu Christe.
- Psalmus ;Domine Jesu Christe.
- Versus: Libera animas fidelium.
06. Sanctus y Benedictus. "
07. Sana Me Domine
08. Agnus Dei.
09. Antiphona: Absolve, Domine.
10. Responsorium
11. Requiescat in Pace, Amen.

♫ 01. Introitus: Requiem aeternam
© Almaviva DS-0122


♫ 02. Kyrie eleison - Christe eleison - Kyrie eleison
© Almaviva DS-0122


♫ 03. Graduale: Requiem aeternam
© Almaviva DS-0122


♫ 04. Tractus: Sicut cervus
© Almaviva DS-0122


♫ 05. Offertorium: Domine Jesu Christe
© Almaviva DS-0122


♫ 06. Sanctus y Benedictus
© Almaviva DS-0122


♫ 07. Sana Me Domine
© Almaviva DS-0122


♫ 08. Agnus Dei
© Almaviva DS-0122


♫ 09. Antiphona: Absolve, Domine
© Almaviva DS-0122


♫ 10. Responsorium
© Almaviva DS-0122


♫ 11. Requiescat in Pace, Amen
© Almaviva DS-0122

Juan Vásquez composed his imposing Agenda defunctorum in 1556 in Sevilla. For the text Vásquez has chosen parts out of the Officium Defunctorum ad Matutinum from the Liber usualis. This work by Vásquez consists out of a six parts: Inventorium/invitatory, In Primo Nocturno/first night, In secundo Noctruno/second night, In tertio Nocturno/third night, Ad Laudes/laude, and Missae Pro Defunctis/Mass of the Dead. Not all the items published in Liber Usualis has been transferred by Vásquez but they the non used are all here added by means of Canto Gregoriano/ Gregorian chant. Out of the Liber Usualis Vásquz used in fact the Invitatory, one Psalm nr. 5, nine antiphons, five lessons, one Responsorium, the Canticum of Zacharias, the Requiescant in pace, Amen and the Missae Pro defunctis Mass of the Dead. Vásquez normally uses in most of the pieces from the Agenda Defunctorum the homophone polyphone style. Sometimes he uses the alternating plainsong and polyphony. I have indicated in the schedule above the Gregorian plainsong with "Psalmus". Vásquez has written this Agenda Defunctorum for four voices (SATB). The Canticum Zachariae is optimal for alternating use, whereby the strophe with straight numbers will be performed by several voices (SATB). The other strophe with the odd numbers and the end strophe will be sung more choraliter that means uni sono in Gregorian mode. The Responsorium Libera me, Domine is similarly written in alternating plainsong and polyphony.
We often find the Cantus Firmus in the third voice the Tenor, sometimes in the Superius ( Invitatorium, Agnus Dei) in the Altus I (Libera me Domine set for five voices (SAATB), Domine Jeus Christe) and in the Bassus ( Complaceat tibi, Sana Domine I, Sitivit).The Graduale is set for three voices (ATB).
The following part is written in clear polyphonic contrapuntal style: Lectio VII. In the Mass the Sana me Domine II and Absolve, Domine are similarly written in polyphonic contrapuntal style. One of the largest Officium Defunctorum entitled Agenda Defunctorum I ever saw. I found the excellent enlarged score by Coro de Cámara Ubisunt Espagna/Spain.

Vásquez's setting (published in 1556) is remarkable for being part of a complete Agenda defunctorum that included Matins and Lauds in addition to the more usual Vespers and Mass. In the first publication, the original Sevillan chants appear alongside their polyphonic elaborations. It was in Spain and Portugal that the tradition of stile antico requiem settings had the greatest longevity, its ramifications extending well into the next century (as with Victoria's setting), and, through the colonial possessions of both countries, into new continents as well.

The Office for the Dead is very highly regarded for its contemplative qualities, standing well alongside Vásquez' elegantly simple songs which have more reputation today. The service seems to follow the example of Morales closely, and indeed both were written for Seville. The polyphonic requiem flourished with a particular intensity on the Iberian peninsula. The first extant Iberian setting, by Pedro Escobar, existed by about 1520.