Peter Cornelius

About the composer
Peter Cornelius (1824 - 1874) was born in Mainz, Germany. He as a man of many talents, composer, violinist, poet, actor and a linguistic genius, but filled with indecision and not able to devote himself to one profession. He was a friend and admirer of Liszt, Wagner and Berlioz. His music did not meet with much success during his lifetime, even though Liszt himself conducted his first opera Der Barbier von Bagdad. After a festival devoted to his work, organized in Weimar in 1905, especially his operas became very popular. He wrote beautiful songs (in which he used poems of his own!), which are still sung today, in particular his Weihnachtslieder. His church music is regarded as his best work.

About the Stabat Mater

Date 1849
Performers Soprano, alto, tenor, bass, choir and orchestra
Length 43.27 minutes
Particulars The work is divided into 10 sections, in accordance with the structure of the poem. Its originality is without doubt: The duo for soprano and bass is accompanied by a solo cello, there are three a cappella choruses which bring back the polyphony of the Renaissance and a brilliant fugue by choir and soloists. Cornelius is one of the composers who omits the final "Amen".
Textual variations
The "Analecta"-text is used, but with following changes:
- Stanza 4, line 2: not "Et tremebat cum videbat" but "Piam Mater, dum videbat"
- Stanza 16, line 2: not "Passionis eius sortem" but "Passionis fac consortem"
- Stanza 17, line 3: not "Ob amorem Filii" but "Et cruore Filii"

Colorbar

CD information

CD 1 Harmonia Mundi HMA 1905206: Peter Cornelius, Stabat Mater *Requiem
About this CD The two major sacred works of Cornelius
Recorded at the Théâtre de la Colonne, Miramas (Bouches-du-Rhône) in March 1989
I bought this CD in a record shop in the Netherlands, 1997
Orchestra Orchestre Régional de Cannes-Provence-Alpes
Choir Choeur Régional de Cannes-Provence-Alpes
Conductor Michel Piquemal
Soloists Danielle Borst, soprano
Jacqueline Majeur, alto
Jean-Luc Viala, tenor
Frédéric Vassar, bass
Other works Peter Cornelius: Requiem
Added 1997 (CORN 01)

 

CD 2 Stabat Mater 2006 SSM 22006.
About this CD The cd is a live registration of the performance in 2006 in Oirschot. The cd was published by the Stabat Mater Foundation.
Orchestra Brabants Orkest
Choir Brabant Koor
Conductor Fabrice Bolton
Soloists Lenneke Ruiten, soprano
Cécile van de Sant, alto
Colin Balzer, tenor
Henk Neven, bass
Other works Joseph Rheinberger: Stabat Mater, Franz Schubert: Stabat Mater (D.175)
Added 1997 (CORN 02)

E-mail: stabatmater@dds.nl

Back to Composers Index