Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
About the composer
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525 – 1594) was born in Palestrina, Italy. He is considered to be the most important Italian composer of the sixteenth century and furthermore as the greatest composer of catholic church music, including more than 100 masses. He worked for several popes as Master of a Chapel. Palestrina composed his “Stabat Mater a 8” for Pope Gregory XIV. It soon established itself as one of the most admired pieces in the repertory of the Pope’s private chapel. By the seventeenth century it was traditionally sung in the Sistine Chapel at the Offertory on Palm Sunday. In 1848 Richard Wagner made an adaptation of Palestrina’s Stabat Mater, which can be sung more easily by larger choirs.
About the Stabat Mater
| Date: | ca. 1590 |
| Performers: | Eight voices, divided into two choirs (SATB/SATB) |
| Length: | CD 1: 11.03 minutes, CD 2: 11.13 minutes, CD 3: 8.59 minutes, CD 4: 8.15 minutes and CD 5: 7.13 minutes |
| Particulars: | The work is divided in two parts. |
| Textual variations: | The "Analecta" version of the text is used, but on CD's 1 and 2 with following changes: |
| Colour bar: |
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Information about the recording
| CD1: | Virgin 5 45272 2: Stabat Mater |
| More info: | Four completely different settings of the Stabat Mater. A “must” for every collector. The Palestrina version is beautiful, but sometimes some voices do not blend: they tend to separate from the collective. The Palestrina Stabat Mater was recorded at the Temple Church, Londen, in January 1986. I bought this CD in a record shop in the Netherlands, 1997. |
| Choir: | Taverner choir |
| Conductor: | Andrew Parrot |
| Other works: | Gregorian Chant, Stabat Mater |
| Code: | 1997 PÄR 01 |
| CD2: | Columns Classics 290239: Miserere – Lamentations |
| More info: | This is a very beautiful CD and it includes the version of Palestrina I like the best. The voices move forward together beautifully. Recorded at the Chapel of Jesus College, Cambridge, in July 1995. |
| Choir: | Choir of Clare College Cambridge |
| Conductor: | Timothy Brown |
| Other works: | Gregorio Allegri, Miserere |
| Code: | 1996 (PAL 01) |
| CD3: | Mitra Cd 16 290: Stabat Mater |
| More info: | A very fast version of Palestrina. I get a feeling that this choir was not up to Palestrina yet. Nevertheless, as the CD contains 5 Stabat Mater settings, it should be a “must” for every collector, especially as it has the only Gaffori registration that I know of. Recorded at the St.Martinus church, Euskirchen-Kirchheim, in July 1995. I bought this CD in a record shop in the Netherlands, 1998 |
| Choir: | Figural Chor Köln |
| Conductor: | Richard Mailänder |
| Other works: | Dom Fonteinnes, Gregorian chant |
| Code: | 1998 GAF 01 |
| CD4: | KRO ES47.387: Stabat Mater |
| More info: | Even faster than CD 3. Nevertheless, a fine performance in a suitable location. Moreover, it features the world premiere of the Stabat Mater by Fiocco. It is a recording of a concert performed on April 1, 2001 in the St.Petrus church at Oirschot. |
| Choir: | Capella Brugensis |
| Conductor: | Patrick Peire |
| Other works: | Pietro Antonio Fiocco, Stabat Mater |
| Code: | 2001 FIO-01 |
| CD5: | Stabat Mater 2007 A Capella |
| More info: | This cd is a recording of a concert performed on March 25, 2007 in the St.Petrus church at Oirschot.This CD is produced by the Stabat Mater Foundation. Still faster than CD 4 (7.13 minutes!). |
| Choir: | Dutch Chamber Choir |
| Conductor: | Klaas Stok |
| Other works: | Franz Wüllner, Stabat Mater |
| Code: | 2007 WULL-01 |
| CD6: | DCD34215 In Sorrow’s Footsteps |
| More info: | This CD, titled In Sorrow’s Footsteps, has two settings settings of Stabat Mater, (by Gabriel Jackson from 2017 and Giovanni Luigi Palestrina from ca. 1590 ) and two settings of Miserere (by James MacMillan from 2009 and Palestrina about four hundred year before). Furthermore it contains Ave Maria and Super Flumina Babylonis by Palestrina. The CD was a present from Mr. Hubert Maillard from Switzerland. Thank you so much. I am happy about it, it ‘s wonderful old and new music with the same texts. |
| Choir: | Marian Consort |
| Conductor: | Rory McCleery |
| Other works: | Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Super Flunia Babylonis, Ave maria |
| Code: | JAC-01 |
