About the composer
Florian Leopold Gassmann (1729 - 1774) was born in Brüx, nowadays Czechia. Soon after his education in a Jesuit
convent, studying singing, violin and harp, he went to Italy, where he finished his studies in Bologna.
In 1963 he was asked to come to Vienna where he became Chamber-Musician for Joseph II and later, in 1772, director of the
Court Chapel. In his compositions Gassmann mixed the neapolean style with German influences. Especially in opera buffa and
sacred music, he is seen as the initiator of the classical viennese school.
| Date | ± 1765 |
| Performers | Mixed choir and continuo |
| Length | 12.09 minutes |
| Particulars | The composition is divided into 4 parts. After a slow opening follow some faster parts, returning to a slow pace in the last part. The melodies are simple but effecive, mostly in two-four time. The singing is strictly homophonic, with the exception of the final Amen. All in all, a very nice work. |
| Textual changes | The "Analecta"-text is used, with two
deviations: -Stanza 13, line 1: not "Fac me vere tecum flere", but "Fac me tecum, pie, flere". -Stanza 16, line 2: not "Passionis eius sortem", but "Passionis fac consortem". |
| CD | Radio Österreich 1 ORF CD 092: Musik der Wiener Hofkapelle |
| About this CD | Sacred works by composers who all worked with
or for the Vienna Court Orchestra in the first half of the 18th century. Recorded at the Pfarrkirche Graz-Mariahilf, January 1996 I bought this CD on the Internet, JPC.de, 2003 |
| Orchestra | cappella nova graz |
| Choir | capella nova graz |
| Conductor | Otto Kargl |
| Other works | Johann Joseph Fux: Laudate Dominum + Missa
Pro Gratiarum Actione Johann Georg Reutteri: Ecce quomodo moritur justus Antonio Caldara: Stabat Mater Johann Stadlmayr: Ave maris stella |
| Added | 2003 GAS 01 |
E-mail:
stabatmater@dds.nl