Stabat Mater (Dvořák)

The sketches of the religious cantata Stabat Mater (Op. 58, originally Op. 28Score, p. V] ) for soli, choir and orchestra wrote the Czech composer Antonín Dvořák during 19 February and 7 May, 1876.

Background

The composing of the cantata was Dvořák´s reaction to the death of his daughter Josefa. The sketch was dedicated to František Hušpauer "as a souvenir to the friend of his young days." [Score, p. VII] . However, Dvořák was forced to postpone the orchestration of the work, due to his other obligations. He returned to the final stylisation of the composition in 1877, when two of his children died within a short time. The definitive version of the score was written between the beginning of October and 13 November, 1877 in Prague.

Stabat Mater is Dvořák´s first work to the religious theme. It´s divided into ten individual parts, only the first and the last part are thematically connectedScore, p. V] .

The first performance took place on 23 December 1880 at the concert of the "Jednota umělců hudebních" (Association of Musical Artists) in Prague. The performers included the opera ensemble of the "České prozatímní divadlo" (Czech Provisional Theatre), under the baton of the conductor Adolf Čech, with the soloists Eleanora Ehrenberg, Betty Fibich, Antonín Vávra and Karel Čech. The composer Leoš Janáček conducted the work a year and half later, on 2 April, 1882, in Brno. The performances abroad (Budapest, London) took place also very soonScore, p. V] .

The cantata was published in score, parts and piano vocal score (arranged by Dr. Josef Zubatý) by German publishing house N. Simrock in 1881. On this occasion Dvořák also changed the opus number.

Structure

The composition consists of ten parts:

*1. Quartetto, Coro. Andante con moto ("Stabat Mater dolorosa")
*2. Quartetto. Andante sostenuto ("Quis est homo, qui non fleret")
*3. Coro. Andante con moto ("Eja, Mater, fons amoris")
*4. Basso solo, Coro. Largo ("Fac, ut ardeat cor meum")
*5. Coro. Andante con moto, quasi allegretto ("Tui nati vulnerati")
*6. Tenore solo, Coro. Andante con moto ("Fac me vere tecum flere")
*7. Coro. Largo ("Virgo virginum praeclara")
*8. Duo. Larghetto ("Fac, ut portem Christi mortem")
*9. Alto solo. Andante maestoso ("Inflammatus et accensus")
*1O.Quartetto, Coro. Andante con moto ("Quando corpus morietur")

The cantata is scored for an orchestra of the following:

2 flutes, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets in A, 2 bassoons, 4 horns (two in F, two in D), 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani and strings.

The solos are written for soprano, tenor, alto, bass, accompanied with the SATB choir.

Approximate duration of the work is 92 minutes.

Selected recordings

*Stabat Mater, Czech Philharmonic, Wolfgang Sawallisch [http://www.supraphon.cz/cs/katalog/databaze-titulu/detail-titulu/?idtitulu=779]
*Stabat Mater, Czech Philharmonic, Václav Smetáček [http://www.supraphon.cz/cs/katalog/databaze-titulu/detail-titulu/?idtitulu=2005842]
*Stabat Mater, Symfonický orchestr hl. m. Prahy, Jiří Bělohlávek [http://www.supraphon.cz/cs/katalog/databaze-titulu/detail-titulu/?idtitulu=2776]
*Stabat Mater, Czech Philharmonic, Václav Talich [http://www.supraphon.cz/cs/katalog/databaze-titulu/detail-titulu/?idtitulu=2007489]

Notes

References

*cite book |title=Stabat Mater Op. 58. (Score)|last=Dvořák |first=Antonín |authorlink=Antonín Dvořák |coauthors= |year=2000 |publisher=Editio Bärenreiter |location=Prague |isbn= |pages= |url= H 2268. ISMN M-2601-0008-4

External links

* [http://www.scena.org/columns/reviews/040501-tc-dvorak.html Info on www.scena.org]
* [http://www.radio.cz/en/article/64700 Info on www.radio.cz]