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Latin

With each composition I listened carefully to try to make out what text was being sung, which was not always easy to do. Surprisingly, it appeared that not one text existed, for I found a number of variations. It appears that two principal variations exist, with the main difference found in the 19th stanza, with completely different versions.  In the table below you will find the two basic versions. In the left column the one which is published in Analecta hymnica mediiaevi 1886-1922, 55 vols, A consolidation of the history and texts of hymns of the Catholic Church 500 – 1400, vol. 54, p.312. In my comments on the compositions I will call this the “Analecta-version”.

In the right column I give the version that I think is official nowadays in the church. As far as I know this has become official since 1908. I will refer to it as the “Vatican-version”. The differences between the two I have emphasized by using italics. Though I have not yet been able to find out with absolute certainty what text of the Stabat Mater is the original one, strong indications can be found. For instance, it is interesting to notice that an alternative that is used in the Vatican version (the second line in stanza 17, Fac me cruce inebriari), cannot be right: this line has a syllable more than the 8 syllables that are characteristic for this poem!   Furthermore, the last words of stanzas 19 and 20 (victoriae, gloria) do not rhyme! The oldest reference to the deviating “Vatican” stanza 19 can be found in the 15th century manuscript Laurenziano Ashburnamiano.

An further indication that the “Analecta”-version could be the original poem can be found in the existence of a counterpart of the Stabat Mater Dolorosa, the Stabat Mater Speciosa. This poem has been found in a medieval handwriting, and it is clearly based on the “Analecta”-version.
In a little book from 1957 by P.Maximilianus O.F.M.Cap. (probably a Dutch catholic clergyman) called De Middelnederlandse Vertalingen van het Stabat Mater the author describes a study in which he examines seven mediaeval translations of the poem into Dutch, found in medieval manuscripts. During this study he has met a number of deviating Latin stanzas (a.o. for the nrs. 10, 14, 16, 17 and 18) which can be found in the second colum of the table, within parentheses. He blames these on the bad work of copyists who tried to better the original.
He further states, that the German author C.Blume in his work Stimmen der Zeit (1915) after an extensive analysis of over 50 manuscripts, also concluded that the “Analecta”-version must be the original one.

The medieval English composers Ashwell, Brown, Cornysh and Davy all use a text that differs greatly from the original. The first 8 stanzas are the same, but the other 12 are replaced by 6 others, not only with a different content, but also with a different rhyme scheme (aaac, bbbc). These stanzas can be found below, after the original poem.

Finally, it is interesting to note that nowadays almost nobody pays any attention to the fact that in Latin the letter “J” does not exist! As I try to be as close to the original as possible, I have replaced every “J” with an “I”.
Now (February 2003) Martin Giles mails me that in Latin the letters “u” and “v” are the same. According to him, consistent would be to use “u” for lower case (inuentus, in stead of inventus) and “V” for upper case (Vt, in stead of Ut). He may be right, but I am not going to be as consistent as that, as it would change the “look” of the text completely!

“Analecta”-version “Vatican”-version
Stabat Mater dolorosa
Iuxta crucem lacrimosa
Dum pendebat Filius 

1

Stabat Mater dolorosa
Iuxta crucem lacrimosa
Dum pendebat Filius 

Cuius animam gementem
Contristatam et dolentem
Pertransivit gladius 

2

Cuius animam gementem
Contristatam et dolentem
Pertransivit gladius 

O quam tristis et afflicta
Fuit illa benedicta
Mater unigeniti! 

3

O quam tristis et afflicta
Fuit illa benedicta
Mater unigeniti! 

Quae moerebat et dolebat,
Et tremebat cum videbat
Nati poenas incliti 

4

Quae moerebat et dolebat,
Pia Mater, dum videbat
Nati poenas incliti 

Quis est homo qui non fleret,
Christi Matrem si videret
In tanto supplicio? 

5

Quis est homo qui non fleret,
Matrem Christi si videret
In tanto supplicio? 

Quis non posset contristari,
Piam Matrem contemplari
Dolentem cum Filio? 

6

Quis non posset contristari,
Christi Matrem contemplari
Dolentem cum Filio? 

Pro peccatis suae gentis
Vidit Iesum in tormentis,
Et flagellis subditum. 

7

Pro peccatis suae gentis
Vidit Iesum in tormentis,
Et flagellis subditum. 

Vidit suum dulcem natum
Moriendo desolatum
Dum emisit spiritum 

8

Vidit suum dulcem natum
Moriendo desolatum
Dum emisit spiritum 

Eia Mater, fons amoris
Me sentire vim doloris
Fac, ut tecum lugeam 

9

Eia Mater, fons amoris
Me sentire vim doloris
Fac, ut tecum lugeam 

Fac, ut ardeat cor meum
In amando Christum Deum
Ut sibi complaceam 

10

Fac, ut ardeat cor meum         (Ut cor nostrum exardescat)
In amando Christum Deum     (Et in Christo requiescat)
Ut sibi complaceam                (Ut ei placeamus) 

Sancta Mater, istud agas,
Crucifixi fige plagas
Cordi meo valide. 

11

Sancta Mater, istud agas,
Crucifixi fige plagas
Cordi meo valide. 

Tui nati vulnerati,
Tam dignati pro me pati,
Poenas mecum divide. 

12

Tui nati vulnerati,
Tam dignati pro me pati,
Poenas mecum divide. 

Fac me vere tecum flere,
Crucifixo condolere,
Donec ego vixero. 

13

Fac me tecum, pie, flere,
Crucifixo condolere,
Donec ego vixero. 

Iuxta crucem tecum stare,
Te libenter sociare
In planctu desidero 

14

Iuxta crucem tecum stare,     (In me sistat dolor tui)
Et me tibi sociare                  (Crucifixo fac me frui)
In planctu desidero                (Dum sim in exilio) 

Virgo virginum praeclara,
Mihi iam non sis amara
Fac me tecum plangere 

15

Virgo virginum praeclara,
Mihi iam non sis amara
Fac me tecum plangere 

Fac, ut portem Christi mortem
Passionis eius sortem,
Et plagas recolere. 

16

Fac, ut portem Christi mortem
Passionis fac consortem,
Et plagas recolere. 

Fac me plagis vulnerari,
Cruce hac inebriari,
Ob amorem Filii 

17

Fac me plagis vulnerari,         (Spinis, clavis vulnerari)
Fac me cruce inebriari,           (Cruce, lancea beari)
Et cruore Filii 

Inflammatus et accensus
Per Te, Virgo, sim defensus
In die iudicii. 

18

Flammis ne urar succensus   (Virgo dulcis, virgo pia)
Per Te, Virgo, sim defensus    (Virgo clemens, o Maria)
In die iudicii                             (Audi preces servuli) 

Fac me cruce custodiri
Morte Christi praemuniri
Confoveri gratia 

19

Christe, cum sit hinc exire,
Da per Matrem me venire
Ad palmam victoriae
 

Quando corpus morietur,
Fac, ut animae donetur
Paradisi gloria. Amen. 

20

Quando corpus morietur,
Fac, ut animae donetur
Paradisi gloria. Amen 

 

Medieval English (Stanzas 9 – 14) with translation

 

 

Stabat Mater, rubens rosa
Iuxta crucem lacrimosa
Videns ferre criminosa
Nullum reum crimine 

9

The Mother stood, a blushing rose
in tears at the foot of the cross
as she saw him undergo a criminal’s fate
who was guilty of no crime 

Et dum stetit generosa
Iuxta natum dolorosa
Plebs tunc canit clamorosa:
‘Crucifige, crucifige’ 

10

And as she stood with full heart
grieving beside her son
the crowd shouted raucously:
‘Crucify him, crucify him’ 

O quam gravis illa poena
Tibi, virgo poenae plena
Commemorans praeamoena
Iam versa in maestetam 

11

O how grievous was the pain
you suffered, Virgin full of sorrows
when you recalled former joys
now all turned to lamentation 

Color erat non inventus
In te, Mater, dum detentus
Stabat natus, sic contentus
Ad debellandum Sathanam 

12

All the life drained from you, Mother,
while your son stood constrained there
gladly bearing his pain
that Satan might be overthrown 

Per haec, nata praeamata
Natum tuum, qui peccata
Delet cuncta perpetrata
Deprecare dulciflue 

13

By these merits, most beloved lady,
beseech your son, who takes away
all the sin that we have committed
with sweet and gracious prayers 

Ut, nostra tergens ingrata
In nobis plantet firme grata
Per quem dando praelibata
Praestet aeterna requi. Amen 

14

That, wiping away all our stain
he might plant firmly in us the gifts of grace
and might fulfil in us what they promise
in our eternal rest. Amen 

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Oct 29

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Stabat Mater by Eric van Boxtel, commissioned by Stabat Mater Foundation in 2008.

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Oct 11

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My friend Marten Kuilman from Amsterdam, is painting the stations of the cross. Here is his 12th station of the cross. October 10th 2020, having dinner together.
#stationsofthecross  #stabatmater  #stabatmaterdolorosa #sacredmusic

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Jul 15

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12th station of he cross in Church Veenhuizen, Drenthe, The Netherlands during cycle trip in Appelscha, July 15th 2020.

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Jun 5

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Kruiswegpark in Roermond, very special, during our visit on May 24th 2020.

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Dec 15

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12th station of the cross painted by P. Cornelis de Moor, in St Jans Basiliek, Laren (nh), during performance Bach's Weihnachtsoratorium, December 15th 2019.

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Dec 12

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Autel d' or (Golden Altar), Niki de Saint Phalle (1962). Museum Beelden aan Zee, Scheveningen, Holland, December 11th 2019

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Nov 20

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Twelfth station of the cross in Parish Church of Portimão in Portugal, enjoying family time in Ferragudo.
#stationsofthecross #stabatmater #stabatmaterdolorosa #Portimão

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Oct 21

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12th station of the cross, mosaic in stone, Holy Cross Church in Bloomsbury (London) enjoying a sunday city walk. 
#london #stabatmater #stationsofthecross #stabatmaterdolorosa #sorrowfulmother #holycrosschurch #bloomsbury

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Oct 20

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Trinity church, London, sculpture. Invited  for the premiere of Pieta by composer Richard Blackford in Cadogan Hall. Impressed!
#stabatmater #stabatmaterdolorosa #chelsea #london #sculpture #crucifixion

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Sep 16

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Werner Tübke, Crucifixion scene (1984), chalk litograph on zinc plate.
I made this photo in Lutherstadt Wittenberg, June 22th 2019 during our cycle tour along the Elbe river.

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Aug 9

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12th station of the cross, psinted by Johan Lange from Aken (Germany) 1884-1890.

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Aug 9

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Our Lady of the Basilica, Zwolle. 
#zwolle #crunchyslime #mary #stabatmater #stabatmaterdolorosa

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Aug 9

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Michael Triegel, Deus absconditus (God is hidden). Museum De Fundatie in Zwolle. I  love his paintings.
#triegel #michaeltriegel #mary #crucifixion #stabatmater #stabatmaterdolorosa #zwolle #fundatiezwolle

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Aug 9

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Zwolle, Grote kerk of St. Michaels Churc. A vey old sculpture of Crucifixion in the wall, maybe 12th station of the cross. Unfortunately very damaged. Please, could you translate the latin text?
#zwolle #zwollecentrum #oldchurch #stationsofthecross #stabatmater #stabatmaterdolorosa

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Jul 16

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Magdenburg Cathedral June 24th 2019, cycling trip along the Elbe in Germany.
#magdenburg🇩🇪 #mothermary #stabatmater #stabatmaterdolorosa #crucifixion #religiousart #stationsofthecross #artstations #sorrowfulmother #motherofjesus #classicalmusic #sacredmusic #pergolesi #golgotha #calvary

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Jul 16

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Paul Sinkwitz, Crucifixion group, tempera draft (1957)  Lutherstadt Wittenberg, exhibition modern Christian Art. #Lutherstadt #Wittenberg #mothermary #stabatmater #stabatmaterdolorosa #crucifixion #religiousart #stationsofthecross #artstations #sorrowfulmother #motherofjesus #classicalmusic #sacredmusic #pergolesi #golgotha #calvary  #mary

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Jul 16

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Otto Pankok, Mary and John under the cross, woodcut (1958). Lutherstadt Wittenberg, exhibition modern Christian Art. #Lutherstadt #Wittenberg #mothermary #stabatmater #stabatmaterdolorosa #crucifixion #religiousart #stationsofthecross #artstations #sorrowfulmother #motherofjesus #classicalmusic #sacredmusic #pergolesi #golgotha #calvary  #mary #john #woodcutting

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Jul 16

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Marc Chagall, Crucfixion, 1969, (1) and Crucifixion, Mother and Child, 1964 (2). In Lutherstadt, Wittenberg, June 2019, Exhibition Modern Christian Art. #Lutherstadt #Wittenberg #mothermary #stabatmater #stabatmaterdolorosa #crucifixion #religiousart #stationsofthecross #artstations #sorrowfulmother #motherofjesus #classicalmusic #sacredmusic #pergolesi #golgotha #calvary #chagall #marcchagall

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Jul 16

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Keith Haring, 1982, Untitled, without Mary. Lutherstadt Wittenberg Exhibition Modern Christian Art.
#Lutherstadt #Wittenberg #mothermary #stabatmater #stabatmaterdolorosa #crucifixion #religiousart #stationsofthecross #artstations #sorrowfulmother #motherofjesus #classicalmusic #sacredmusic #pergolesi #golgotha #calvary #keithharing

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Jul 16

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Lutherstadt Wittenberg Exhibition Christian Art from Chagall to Beuys. Willi Baumeister, Crucifixion, Lithograph.
#Lutherstadt #Wittenberg #mothermary #stabatmater #stabatmaterdolorosa #crucifixion #religiousart #stationsofthecross #artstations #sorrowfulmother #motherofjesus #classicalmusic #sacredmusic #pergolesi #golgotha #calvary

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Jul 15

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Wilhelm Lehmbruck, Crucifixion, 1912, Etching. Mueum Lutherstadt Wittenberg during our cycling trip in Germany, June 2019.

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Jul 15

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Exhibition Lutherstadt Wittemberg Modern Christian Art from Chagall to Beuys. James Ensor, Crucifixio, print 23 from Portfolio Scenes Life of Christ, colour lithograph, 1912-1921.
#religiousart #stabatmaterdolorosa #stabatmater #crucifixion #golgotha

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Jul 15

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Exhibition Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Christian Art from Chagall to Beuys. Georges Rouault, Christ on the cross, 1936, colour aquatint etching.June 21th 2019
#religiousart #golgotha #crucifixion #stabatmater #stabatmaterdolorosa #mothermary

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Jul 9

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July 5th, Bremen, Church of our Lady. I noticed groups of little figures in a glass display case showing scenes from the passion of Jesus. They are made by the woodcutters David Guenou and his son Daniel from Togo in Africa. They converted to Christianity in the the sixties when a priest from Bremen was a missionary in Togo. The woodcarving was a present from the Togo Parish. By the way: we loved Bremen during our cycling trip in Germany.
#bremen #woodcarving #crucifixion #religiousart #africanart #stabatmaterdolorosa
#thecross #stabatmater #mothermary

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Jul 9

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Bremen Cathedral, beautiful painting of the crucifixion on the front wall of the church dedicated to St. Peter. July 5th 2019.
#bremencathedral #religiousart #stabatmater #crucifixion #paintings #stationsofthecross #artstations #sorrowfulmother #motherofjesus #religiousart #classicalmusic #sacredmusic #pergolesi

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Jul 4

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In Damnatz, during our cycling trip from Dresden to Hamburg, we stumbled upon this old, timber framed church with a painting of the crucifixion. July 2th 2019
#stabatmater #stabatmaterdolorosa #crucifixion  #religiousart #elb

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Jun 28

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Tangermünde, June 27th 2019, St Stefan's Church. On the baptismal font, as wel as at the baroque pulpit I found a relief of Mary near the cross.

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Jun 28

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St. Jacobi Church in Perleberg, Germany June 28th 2019 during our cycling tour from Dresden to Hamburg. In the wall of the tower is a crucifixion sculpture of sand stone. Though Mary is not present, I just could not resist taking this picture because of the inscription above: ANNO DOMINI MCCCLXI.
#perleberg #stationsofthecross #stabatmater  #religiousart #stabatmaterdolorosa #crucifixion #sculpture #stabatmaterdolorosa

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Jun 8

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Church Museum New Bavo Haarlem. Station of the Cross XII 1920. Artist unknown. 
#stationsofthecross #stabatmater #sorrowfulmother #religiousart

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Jun 8

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Church New Bavo Museum Haarlem, Jan van Scorel 1525.
#calvary #religiousart #stabatmater #stabatmaterdolorosa #triptych

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May 2

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Stralsund, Germany, Nicolai Kirche and painting of the Crucifixion in the church.

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May 2

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Family vacation in Germany, May 2019, A trip to Stralsund, Nicolaikirche. Several altars from the 15th century:: (1)Burgermeister-altar with Jesus is taken down from the cross, short after 1500. (2) Altar by Riemer and Betler (1451) and High altar (ca. 1480), Crucifixion by J P Hinze.
#church #art #altar #religiousart #stabatmater #stabatmaterdolorosa

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Apr 28

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Nehringen, Germany, during a family vacation. St. Andreas kirche. Stations of the cross.

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Apr 28

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Stations of the cross-Jesus meets his mother Maria and  Jesus is nailed to the cross- paintings by Jan Wiesman, a Dutch painter. Exhibition in Pop-up Gallery in Bloemendaal. Netherlands.

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Apr 24

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Art stations of the cross Amsterdam 2019: Jesus meets his mother (Station 2). A colorful installation by Lynn Aldrich is made from all sorts of ordinary cleaning tools, such as plastic sponges and brushes.
#stationsofthecross #artstations #sorrowfulmother #motherofjesus #religiousart #classicalmusic #sacredmusic #pergolesi

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Apr 24

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Project Art stations of the cross, number 7: Jesus falls for the second time. Two drawings by Paul van Dongen: Judgement and Resurrection. The Small Museum, Paradiso, Weteringschans 6-8. In 2016 the music venue and cultural center Paradiso, housed in a converted former church building from the nineteenth century, opened The Small Museum. The smallest museum in the Netherlands, it is located in one of the cabinets where the Vrije Gemeente (Free Congregation) used to display its announcements. The exhibitions regularly link to the religious past of the building.
#stationsofthecross #artstations #sorrowfulmother #motherofjesus #religiousart #classicalmusic #sacredmusic #pergolesi

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Apr 24

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Art stations of the cross 2019 Amsterdam. Number 2: Jesus takes up the cross by G. Roland Bierman. De Hoftuin, Nieuwe Herengracht 18.
#mothermary #jesus #thecross #crucifixion #passion #virginmaryartwork #virginmaryart #stabatmater #stabatmaterdolorosa #stationsofthecross #artstations #sorrowfulmother #motherofjesus #religiousart #classicalmusic #sacredmusic #pergolesi

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Apr 15

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Art Stations of the Cross 2019 Amsterdam Nr. 6 Veronica wipes the face of Jesus. Güler Ates, Water no longer dances with light, new site specific work. In the Stations of the Cross, Veronica is the woman who helps Jesus persevere. She confronts us with the classic question: In whom do we invest, convinced that the person can make a difference in this world? Who can lean on us? Güler Ates grew up in the mystic tradition of East Turkey. She is based in London and works with video, photography, printmaking and performance. One of the core elements in her work is cultural displacement. She studies the interaction of Eastern and Western cultures.

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Apr 15

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Beginhof Chapel Amsterdam when I wasin Amsterdamwithmy grandson Guidofor the Art Stations of the Cross on monday April 15th.

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Apr 15

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Project Art Stations of the Cross Amsterdam. Nr. 5 Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross. It is the contemplation of the suffering caused by the slave trade, in which traders from Amsterdam were also involved. Iris Kensmil, an artist with a Surinam background, has painted portraits of three eighteenth-century individuals from Surinam who managed to secure for themselves a position and a future in opposition to colonial oppression. (Their actual likenesses are unknown.) Just like Simon of Cyrene, who stopped to help Jesus by carrying his cross, these people resisted injustice. The triptych hangs amongst the group portraits in the Amsterdam Gallery as a call to action.

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The Ultimate Stabat Mater Website is the heritage of my late husband Hans van der Velden. Since his death READ MORE

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Religious background

My observations on the religious background of the Stabat Mater are being handicapped by the fact that I miss a READ MORE

The colourbar

The colourbar, which you will find with almost all compositions, is a graphic representation of the composition. READ MORE

Stabat Mater Foundation

The Stabat Mater foundation was established in 1998 by a number of music lovers. In 2013 they celebrated their READ MORE

In 1997 I created the Ultimate Stabat Mater website for Hans with the program FrontPage. At that time he had around 40 Stabat Mater CDs. His notes on the composer, the music, the texts and translations and the different versions all came online. After this he managed the site by adding new composers and translations regularly. At the time of his death in 2005 he had 211 Stabat Maters. After his death I continued collecting the information and managing the site. I wish to thank the Dutch Stabat Mater Foundation which gave me the financial support in 2014 to renew this site!

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