About the composer
Johann Baptist (born: Jan Krtitel) Vanhal (1739 - 1813) was, like Tuma, a Czechian
composer. He was befriended with Mozart and Haydn, and was regarded, like these, as on of
the important symphonists. Vanhal composed 70 symphonies, a large number of string
quartets and music for piano. He was so loved that he could live of his compositions.
During a trip to Italy, however, he began to suffer from mental disorders. He got
religious delusions and he heard voices who told him to destroy all his secular works and
to restrict himself to religious music. In this period he composed some 60 masses,
numerous litanies and religious arias and also the Stabat Mater in f minor.
| Date | 1775 |
| Performers | Soprano, alto and orchestra |
| Length | 48.10 minutes |
| Particulars | The composition is divided into 12 parts, largely conform the structure of the poem. As Vanhal prescribes only 2 voices, the use of a female choir to replace the duets, as on this recording, is not according to the composition.The final word "Amen" is worked out as a fugue in an independent musical section, not as a part of the last stanza. A very nice Stabat Mater. |
| Textual variations | The "Analecta"-text is used, but with the following
change: - Stanza 16, line 2: not "Passionis eius sortem" but "Passionis fac consortem" |
| CD | Orfeo C 324 941 A: Johann Baptist Vanhal - Stabat Mater - Symphonie D-Dur |
| About this CD | Recorded at the Evangelische Kirche, Soukenická, Prague, in
April 1993. I bought this CD in a record shop in the Netherlands, 1997 |
| Orchestra | Prager Kammerorchester |
| Choir | Prager Kammerchor |
| Conductor | Václav Neumann |
| Soloists | Natalia Melnik, soprano Marta Benacková, alto |
| Other works | Symphony in D major |
| Added | VAN 01 |
E-mail:
stabatmater@dds.nl