Moore’s Stabat is a part of her composition Lux Aeterna: Vivid, commissioned by November Music Festival in association with the Hieronymus Bosch Foundation for the city of ‘s Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands. It is a Requiem. The text is based upon the Latin Mass for the dead. Part III is Stabat Mater (stanza 14 and 15). The Stabat Mater part is simple and spiritual. Minimal music with excellent singers!
The CD is titled What about Mary? Wishful Singing brings an ode to the most versatile woman ever: Maria. The five singers prove that Maria is an important source of inspiration for their music and wisdom.
Archives for January 2020
Pergolesi’s Stabat with Dance
Usually, when I talk with people about Stabat Mater and my CD collection, I often hear them say: oh Pergolesi! Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater is undoubtedly not only the best known but also the most performed and most recorded one. On the Pergolesi page you will find a collection of many recordings and adaptations. This work seems to have inspired many composers to imitate, paraphrase and adapt (see Brunetti, de Nardis and Paisiello). The musical setting of Psalm 51 Tilge, Höchster, meine Sünden by the great Johann Sebastian is another example. There are also films that used parts of Pergolesi’s Stabat in the sountrack such as THX 1138 (by George Lukas, 1971), Jésus de Montréal (by Denys Arcand, 1989), Smilla’s Sense of Snow, (Billy August, 1997), Amadeus (Miloš Forman, 1984) and Mirror (by Andrei Tarkovsky, 1975).
Some time ago I was surprised by a completely different version of Pergolesi’s Stabat. It was performed in Muziekgebouw aan het IJ in Amsterdam on September 28th in 2019. Pergolesi’s Stabat for not just two female singers but also for three dancers! What a shame I could not visit the performance; it was sold out completely! Choreographer Peter Leung added a new layer in the composition: contemporary dance! Happily I managed to contact Peter Leung and he was kind enough to send me the complete video of the performance. I was surprised and impressed. I am happy Peter allowed me to show a part of the video on my site. I chose part IX Sancta Mater istud agas (stanza 11 until 15). Look at this dancing Stabat with: singers Tania Lorenzo (soprano) and Rosina Fabius (mezzo-soprano) alongside dancers Frederik Kaijser, Erika Poletto and Sophie Vergères and musicians from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, conducted by Michael Gieler.
New: Osvaldo Guidotti
I just added another Italian composer Osvaldo Guidotti. Barbara Seppi from Germany was kind enough to inform me about Guidotti’s Stabat Mater and sent it to me for free. Thank you very much!
The cover of the CD booklet ays:
Osvaldo Guidotti, Stabat Mater
Il canto del dolore e dell’ amore
(translation: the chant of pain and love)
Guidotti composed his Stabat Mater on the occasion of the 450th anniversay of the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Rome.
New: Anonymous from Poland
This Stabat Mater, from the album Bogarodzica (Mother of God) is a Polish anonymous melody by vocal ensemble Jerycho. The songs on the album have been dedicated to Mother Mary. Mr. Marcin from Poland was kind enough to point me to this album. Indeed, it’s a very special edition. The CD-booklet is a real book of up to 60 pages! It’s a shame I can’t read Polish!
