Danesborough Chorus Spring Concert: Dvorak Stabat Mater at St Mary's Church, Woburn on Saturday 18th March 2023

Please note: This concert is in the past and has already taken place.

Danesborough Chorus Spring Concert

Dvorak Stabat Mater

Add to my Calendar 18-03-2023 19:30 18-03-2023 21:30 36 Danesborough Chorus Spring Concert The Stabat Mater is a 13th-century poem that describes the imagined sufferings of Mary, the mother of Jesus, as she stood at the foot of the cross during his crucifixion. More than 400 musical settings of the Stabat Mater are known to exist dating back to 1490. Among the best known are those by Palestrina, Domenico Scarlatti, Pergolesi, Haydn, Rossini, Dvorak, Poulenc, and the contemporary composers Karl Jenkins and James MacMillan. They range in duration from a few minutes to the longest, which is Dvorak’s, lasting some 85 minutes. Dvorak began composing his Stabat Mater in 1876, most probably as a means of coping with the death of his baby daughter just two days after her birth the previous year. In mid 1876, Dvorak stopped work on this piece but then, tragically, in August 1877 he lost yet another child when his 11-month old daughter died by accidental poisoning. Devastated, Dvorak sought solace by taking up work on his Stabat Mater once more. Less than one month later, his 3-year old son died of smallpox, leaving Dvorak and his wife completely childless. Their grief must have been overwhelming and Dvorak’s only means of coping was to bury himself in his work. He finally completed the Stabat Mater on November 13th of that year. Not only is Dvorak’s composition the longest Stabat Mater, it is also widely acknowledged to be one of the most beautiful. It is both a choral masterpiece and a profoundly moving work, with the composer’s grief permeating the heart-tuggingly powerful music while still providing an inspiring and positive statement of faith and hope. Though the Stabat Mater is arguably Dvorak’s best known sacred composition, it is rarely performed nowadays. This concert therefore presents a rare opportunity, not to be missed, to hear this truly unique work. St Mary's Church, Woburn DD/MM/YYYY

Details

St Mary's Church
Park Street
Woburn
Bedfordshire
MK17 9PG
England

Saturday 18th March 2023
7:30 PM

Programme

Antonin Dvorak – Stabat Mater, Op.58

Performers

Elizabeth Bottone – soprano
Lauren Easton – mezzo-soprano
Justin Lavender – tenor
Jonathan Gunthorpe – Bass
Ian Smith – Conductor

Danesborough Chorus
Alina Orchestra

Programme Note

The Stabat Mater is a 13th-century poem that describes the imagined sufferings of Mary, the mother of Jesus, as she stood at the foot of the cross during his crucifixion. More than 400 musical settings of the Stabat Mater are known to exist dating back to 1490. Among the best known are those by Palestrina, Domenico Scarlatti, Pergolesi, Haydn, Rossini, Dvorak, Poulenc, and the contemporary composers Karl Jenkins and James MacMillan. They range in duration from a few minutes to the longest, which is Dvorak’s, lasting some 85 minutes. Dvorak began composing his Stabat Mater in 1876, most probably as a means of coping with the death of his baby daughter just two days after her birth the previous year. In mid 1876, Dvorak stopped work on this piece but then, tragically, in August 1877 he lost yet another child when his 11-month old daughter died by accidental poisoning. Devastated, Dvorak sought solace by taking up work on his Stabat Mater once more. Less than one month later, his 3-year old son died of smallpox, leaving Dvorak and his wife completely childless. Their grief must have been overwhelming and Dvorak’s only means of coping was to bury himself in his work. He finally completed the Stabat Mater on November 13th of that year. Not only is Dvorak’s composition the longest Stabat Mater, it is also widely acknowledged to be one of the most beautiful. It is both a choral masterpiece and a profoundly moving work, with the composer’s grief permeating the heart-tuggingly powerful music while still providing an inspiring and positive statement of faith and hope. Though the Stabat Mater is arguably Dvorak’s best known sacred composition, it is rarely performed nowadays. This concert therefore presents a rare opportunity, not to be missed, to hear this truly unique work.

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