About the composer
Philippe Leduc is living in Montreal, Canada, and at the moment (about 1997} involved in a project
named The Wings of Fire. This is a tetrology of four CD's, describing in music the life of
a man, a life that is shaken by the historical developments in the first half of the
twentieth century. The project is dedicated to the victims of war. Simultaneously with the
CD's novels will be published in which the story is told in detail. The music is very
expressive and might have come from a picture or a musical. More information can be found
on the Website http://dania.com/wings_of_fire
On each of the first two CD's a Stabat Mater can be found. In both pieces (one situated in
1937, the other in 1941) the mother of the man, thinking her son has died, prays to God
for help.
| Date | 1994 |
| Performers | Soprano, symphony orchestra |
| Length | 8.44 minutes |
| Particulars | As in some other modern Stabat Maters the Stabat Mater 37 is not based solely on the poem, but other pieces of text are used, by which the composer tries to extend the meaning to all suffering people. |
| Textual variations | The text according to "Analecta" is used, but only
the first four stanzas. The text of the soprano solo is by the composer: I. Lord, forgive me. Let me ask Mother Mary how could she live through the death of her baby. How could she stand the treason of her precious and only son. Of her pain, no one heard not even a word. II. Lord, forgive me. Did you ask Holy Mary what it meant to lose the Fruit of her womb? How could I stand the treason of my precious and only son. Of my pain no one heard not even a word. But you, only you My Lord. |
| Added | LED 01 |
| Date | 1994 |
| Performers | Soprano, alto, symphony orchestra |
| Length | 13.13 minutes |
| Particulars | Just as in the Stabat Mater 37 the Stabat Mater 41 is not based solely on the poem, but other pieces of text are used, by which the composer tries to extend the meaning to all suffering people. |
| Textual variations | The text according to "Analecta" is used, but only the stanzas 1, 2, 4, 5, 8 and 10. The other texts (in stanza's I, II and III) are by the composer, in fact a plea by a mother to God to tell her where her son is. |
| Added | LED 02 |
| CD 1 | PHLCD 2202: The Wings of Fire, Part I: Blood |
| About this CD | The first part of this musical story. Recorded at the Rudolfinum, Prague, in October 1994 |
| Orchestra | The Free Symphony of Prague |
| Choir | The Free Symphony of Prague |
| Conductor | Mario Klemens |
| Soloists | Mary-Lou Gauthier, soprano |
| Other works | The Red Baron Flying Circus No Pasaran Madrid Adagio Rouge Lotus Elégie Rouge Moulin Ein Volk Das Reich |
| CD 2 | PHLCD 2206: The Wings of Fire, Part II: Toil |
| About this CD | The second part of this musical story. Recorded at the Rudolfinum, Prague, in October 1994 |
| Orchestra | The Free Symphony of Prague |
| Choir | The Free Symphony of Prague |
| Conductor | Mario Klemens |
| Soloists | Mary-Lou Gauthier, soprano Kimberley Richardson, alto |
| Other works | Lionhearted Via Dunkerque Katarina Agnus Dei Dimitri Blitz Impromptu Anastasia Elégie Rouge Poison La Grande Fugue Rouge |
E-mail:
stabatmater@dds.nl