Matériel : Partition
Par PERGOLESI GIOVANNI BATTISTA. Shortly before his death, Giovanni Pergolesi moved to the Franciscan monastery in Pozzuoli, where he composed his last works. Among these is his Stabat mater - based on the medieval Latin poem. The piece reveals the infusion into church composition of the operatic style. Pergolesi's Stabat mater features a lively declamation of the text and great melodic appeal and expressiveness. Underlying everything is the contrapuntal background that was expected in music composed for the church at this time. This is is the full score of the original version, which was written for Soprano and Alto Solos and small String Ensemble. / Musique religieuse / Répertoire / Choeur
SKU: BT.PWM5447
''Stabat Mater'' by Karol Szymanowski for solo voices, chorus and orchestra, Op. 53, is one of the most famous and, at the same time, most personal works of the composer, making its appeal to the audience through the depth of its expression and sheer artistry. The first sketches of the work were made in the spring of 1925, while work on the full score occupied the composer from 20 January to 2 March 1926. Józef Jankowskis Polish translation of the medieval sequence formed the basis of the composition. This text, which was simple in a folk-like way, devoid of pathos but full of religious zeal, harmonized perfectly from the poetic point of view with the composers creative design. In an interview for the monthly Muzyka Szymanowski stated: ''in its Polish vestments that eternal, naive hymn was filled for me with its own immediate expressive content; it became something painted in colours which were recognisable and comprehensible as distinct from the black and white of the archaic original'' (''A Footnote to Stabat Mater'', Muzyka 1926, Nos. 11/12). In the score, the Latin text is given beside the Polish text, making it possible for the work to be performed more easily by foreign performers. In this work, the universal tradition of the Christian church was fused with the Polish religious tradition. The composer creates the religious folk-like climate primarily through the character of the melodies which are akin to to the plainchant melodies to the text of Stabat Mater (the sequence, and especially the hymn) and their paraphrases in Polish religious songs (e.g. Sta a Matka Bole ciwa [The Dolorous Mother was standing]) as well as motifs from Polish Lenten songs and Gorzkie ale (Bitter Laments). Szymanowski did not introduce them as quotations, but intersperses the melodic lines, which are more fully developed and frequently highly chromatic, with diatonic phrases, based on modal scales. They appear in all the movements of the work determining its cohesion. In dividing the twenty-stanza text into separate segments, Szymanowski created a six- movement cantata. He took care to distinguish between the emotional shades of the various movements, varying his selection of solo voices (soprano, contralto, baritone), the voices of the chorus (female or mixed) and the orchestral forces. In the first and third movements the lyrical idiom prevails; the first movement, portraying the Mother of God at the foot of the cross, has a narrative character, whereas the third is a kind of prayer from a man who sympathizes with, and who wishes to be associated with Mater Dolorosas pain. In these movements only the female voices are used (soprano, contralto and female chorus), while the orchestra is employed in a chamber style, sometimes drawing on solo accompanying parts (e.g. the beginning of the third movement). The fourth movement, which continues the mood of prayerful contemplation, is designed for soprano and contralto solo as well as unaccompanied chorus. On the other hand, the second and fifth movements, involving the participation of solo baritone and the full chorus and orchestra, are similar with regard to forces and their dramatic character, which is austere in expression, harsh in tone, and markedly dissonant. Here grand climaxes appear with powerful orchestral tutti. The sixth movement crowns the whole. The lyrical, soft melody of the solo soprano at the beginning is gradually strengthened by the addition of the female chorus and the solo contralto, and in the final section, the solo baritone as well as the tutti of chorus and orchestra. The conclusion, subdued and full of concentration, suggests the introvert character of the experience as opposed to its dramatic pathos. Stabat Mater by Szymanowski is part of a long tradition of compositions based on the text of the medieval sequence - ranging from polyphonic works by Josquin des Prés and Palestrina to the romantic Stabat by Giuseppe Verdi and Anton n Dvo ák. And it was perhaps because of his consciousness of this tradition that Szymanowski used stylizing devices in the spirit of early music. The archaization manifests itself not only in the character of the melodies and their modal framework, but also in the harmonies (with their predominance of triads, open fourths and fifths chords and doubled thirds), the simple rhythms as well as the texture of the choruses (esp. the fourth movement). The composer does not, however, imitate the style of any specific historical epoch, but combines resources taken from early music with modern tonal and harmonic techniques. Archaization in Stabat Mater serves, moreover, a symbolic function; in evoking the many-centuries old tradition of church music, it emphasizes the universal nature of the idea contained in the text of the sequence, while the re-reading of the text by the composer gives the work its individual features. [Zofia Helman, translated by Ewa Cholewka].
SKU: CA.7008950
ISBN 9790007167646. Text language: Latin.
Following his early departure from the opera stage in 1829, besides chamber music Gioachino Rossini composed only larger scored works of church music. The Stabat Mater is among these. It was composed in two different phases between 1831 and 1841 and received its premiere in Paris in 1842. The text is fashioned as a prayer describing Mary's pain in the face of the crucified Christ. Time and again the vivid language of this text, a Latin poem probably from the 13th century, has inspired settings by composers including illustrious names such as Pergolesi, Joseph Haydn and Verdi. In 10 movements Rossini unites different forms such as aria, duet, quartet and chorus, an operatic aria-like style of writing as well as a strict a cappella style resulting in one of the highpoints of this genre. For this arrangement, the vocal score (CV 70.089/03), choral score (CV 70.089/05) and parts for strings and timpani from the original orchestral version can also be used. Score available separately - see item CA.7008900.
SKU: CA.7006500
ISBN 9790007165994. Language: German.
In spring 1816 Franz Schubert, just nineteen years old, completed his second setting of the Stabat Mater in the midst of a highly productive period. In contrast with his first setting written the previous year, just five minutes in length, this time Schubert used the German translation by Klopstock as the basis for his composition. Stefan Schuck's edition is the first one of this work to be based on a critical evaluation of the primary sources, with complete performance material. The work, in a dark F minor, with its text by Klopstock, places Jesus Christ, rather than Mary, at the center of the contemplation. With his fugues, but particularly in the eight-part lamenting chorus Wer wird Zahren sanften Mitleids, Schubert shows himself at the height of his creative output. He composed his 4th Symphony, the Tragic, at almost the same time. The Stabat Mater is a rewarding work for choral societies and choirs to perform, because the choir has the largest portion to sing, and the choral parts are not too demanding. The composition is also a beautiful introduction to the choral-symphonic music of Schubert for less experienced choirs.
SKU: CA.9700300
ISBN 9790007113124. Language: Latin.
Following his death, Pergolesi's last larger composition, the Stabat Mater of 1736, immediately became one of the most popular sacred works of the late baroque-early classical era. Numerous publications made this icon of Italian sacred music known throughout Europe. It was arranged by, among others, J. S. Bach (Tilge, Hochster, meine Sunden, BWV 1083), J. A. Hiller and Abbe Vogler. The most popular arrangement was the one made around 1800 for the Vienna Court Kapelle, in which Antonio Salieri, Franz Xaver Sussmayr and I. X. Ritter von Seyfried added woodwind instruments and obbligato trombones to the string accompaniment. In addition the 2-part texture of the upper voices in the original was arranged for 4 parts with obbligato soli. It was only in this opulent, sonorous version, which Otto Nicolai and three composer colleagues offered to 19th century Viennese music lovers. The piece is of medium difficulty. In the Viennese version it is a rarity that offers an enrichment to the repertoire for choirs wishing to discover something new.
SKU: CA.5199100
ISBN 9790007181659. Language: Latin.
Joseph Haydn's Stabat Mater, written in 1767, was the first church work the composer wrote after entering the service of Prince Esterhazy in Eisenstadt. Unlike almost all his other sacred works, it soon circulated in numerous copies and established Haydn's reputation as the leading vocal composer of his day. This edition is based on three original copies of parts, which are regarded as being particularly close to the (missing) autograph manuscript because of the date they were made and the reliable transmission of the music text. As so, this great, moving setting of the Stabat Mater is now newly available in a modern, scholarly edition. The complete performance material is available on sale.
SKU: BT.EMBZ14907
Latin.
Miklós Kocsár set Jacopone da Todi's Latin hymn to music in 2007. The composition is for soprano, baritone solo, mixed choir and orchestra. The nearly 20-minute-long monothematic work of one movement presents the suffering and reconciliation of Mater Dolorosa with variational technique and colourfully alternating choir and solo textures. Using the score, which includes the vocal parts, Stabat Mater can be performed with not only orchestral but also piano or organ accompaniment.