About the composer
Josquin Des Préz, or Després (c.1450 - 1521) was born in Hainault in Belgium. He was
probably a student with Ockegem. He worked almost 10 years at the Chapel of the Pope in
Rome, then with the court of Louis XII of France and finally was Provost of the Chapter at
Condé. Composed a.o. 25 masses, more than 120 motets and more than 60 chansons. His style
started a new musical period, the Musica Reservata. It is characterized by its great
mobility, it is open-hearted and elegant.
The composer Balint Bakfark (1507-1576) used this Stabat Mater for a piece for lute.
| Date | 1480 |
| Performers | Mixed Choir (originally: 5 voices) |
| Length | 7.56 minutes (CD 1), 8.24 minutes (CD 2) and 7.27 minutes (CD 3) |
| Particulars | A motet. The polyphony is constructed around a "cantus firmus" that is supposedly taken from a secular song by Gilles Binchois: the "Tenor" from Comme femme desconfortée. Compared to the English Renaissance music the stile is relaxed. The stanzas are sung smoothly one after the other, with one exception: after "dum emisit spiritum", the last breath of Jesus, the singers hold a subtle pause. |
| Textual variations | The "Analecta"-text is used, but the stanzas 11 through 14 are omitted. |
| CD 1 | Harmonia Mundi 901243: Josquin Desprez, Stabat Mater - Motets |
| About this CD | 6 motets by Desprez, beautifully sung. Recorded at the Basilique Notre-Dame des Tables, Montpellier, in May 1986 |
| Choir | La Chapelle Royale |
| Conductor | Philippe Herreweghe |
| Other works | Ave Maria Salve Regina Ave nobilissima creatura O bone et dulcissime Jesu Usquequo, Domine, oblivisceris me Miserere mei |
| Added | Unknown (DES 01) |
| CD 2 | ASV Quicksilva CD QS 6234: Stabat Mater - Late medieval Motets of Penitence and Passion |
| About this CD | 7 Motets by different composers, beautifully
sung. Recorded at the Church of St.Michael and All Angels, Mount Dinham, Exeter, in June 1998. I bought this CD on the Internet, Amazon.com, 2001 |
| Choir | Cantores |
| Conductor | David Allinson |
| Other works | Jean Mouton: Ave Maria Gemma Virginum William Pashe: Sancta Maria Mater Dei Orlande di Lassus: Stabat Mater William Cornysh, Jr: Wofully araide John Sheppard: Media Vita Nicholas Gombert: Lugebat David Absalon |
| CD 3 | KRO ES47.425 Stabat Mater 2003 |
| About this CD | The recording of the fifth concert organized by the Dutch
Stabat Mater Foundation. Recorded at the St.Petrus church, Oirschot, in April 2003. |
| Choir | Capella Brugensis |
| Conductor | Patrick Peire |
| Other works | Antonio Vivaldi: Stabat Mater Franz Schubert: Stabat Mater D.383 |
E-mail:
stabatmater@dds.nl