About the composer
Vladimir Godár was born in 1956 in Bratislava (Slovakia). He studied composition
at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Bratislava. Vladimir Godár
is a composer of contemporary classical music and film music. He is also a
writer, editor and translator of books on historical music research (see:
www.vladimirgodar.wz.cz/vladimir_godar_en.htm/).
| Date | 2001 |
| Performers | Alto, violin and chamber orchestra |
| Length | 19.24 minutes |
| Particulars | Godár himself says: Of all religious texts, Stabat Mater had always attracted me the most, but when I started listening to Arvo Pärt’s setting it seemed so perfect that I couldn’t see a way for my version not being redundant. Only when I got to know Iva (Bittová), her musical intuition, energy and discipline, did I feel able to write a Stabat Mater for her. Her singing is pure and full of emotion and her articulation is just perfect.” |
| Textual variations | Godárs Stabat Mater is sung in slovakian language, an 18th century translation. All stanzas have been used. |
| CD | Mater ECM New series 476 5689 |
| About this CD | The name of the CD is Mater. Godar combined seven of his compositions on this CD. Godár tells us: Mater and the order of the tracks were inspired by a short story of the novalist Bohumil Hrabal (1914-1996) with the title "A Legend Played on Strings Stretches between a Cradle and a Coffin" and by the semantics of the Christian church year (birth-death-resurrection). The protagonist is Woman-Mother who gives life (Magnificat), shapes (Lullabies), buries and mournes (Stabat Mater) and praises (Regina Coeli). This totality is completed by two meditations on passing time in human life, the musings of a Jewish yeshiva student (Maykomashmalon) and the reflections of a modern-day intellectual (James Joyce's Ecce Puer). |
| Orchestra | Solamente Naturali |
| Soloists | Iva Bittová, alto |
| Choir | |
| Conductor | Marek Stryncl |
| Other works | Maykomashmalon Magnificat Uspávanky (lullabies) Ecce Puer Stálá Matka (Stabat Mater) Regina Coeli Maykomashmalon |
| Added | June 2007 - GODA 01 |
E-mail:
stabatmater@dds.nl