Krzysztof Penderecki
About the composer
Krzysztof Penderecki was born in Debica, Poland, in 1933. He is a composer whose merits are being judged rather variably. His “Stabat Mater for three mixed a cappella choruses” is regarded as the beginning of a period in which Penderecki abandons the avant-garde movement and attempts to develop a certain link between the modern and the traditional: the twelve note thinking, new sonoristic techniques and at the same time, polyphony which dates back to the Renaissance. He wished to refer to the great tradition of sacred music: Gregorian chant, Palestrina’s music and the works of Bach. Yet, he introduces a new perspective in sacred music: the central point of reference is no longer God, but man. It is his individual experiences and emotions that cause the dramatic tension. The Stabat Mater was some years later used by him as part of a Lukas Passion.
About the Stabat Mater
| Date: | 1962 |
| Performers: | 3 mixed Choirs |
| Length: | 8.31 minutes |
| Particulars: | The Stabat Mater is based on six selected stanzas. The melodic line of the central theme hovers around the main note in a typically slow manner. The sequence develops in several phases reaching its climax in the dramatic, repeated plaintive cry "Christe". Afterwards, the early prayerful, litany-like motifs return and lead to the closure on the words "Paradisi gloria" with a powerful, clear sound of the D major triad, which carries a symbolic message of hope. |
| Textual variations: | Only the stanzas 1, 5, 9, 10, 19 and 20 of the "Vatican"-version are used. |
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Information about the recording
| CD1: | Finlandia 4509-98999-2, Penderecki, Complete sacred works for chorus a cappella |
| More info: | Recorded at the Olari Church, Espoo, Finland, in 1993. I bought this CD in a record shop in the Netherlands, 1997 |
| Choir: | Tapiola Chamber Choir |
| Conductor: | Juha Kuivanen |
| Other works: | Miserere |
| Code: | 1997 PEN-01 |
| CD2: | Stabat Mater 2007 A Capella |
| More info: | This CD is produced by the Stabat Mater Foundation. It is a recording of a concert performed on March 25, 2007 in the St.Petrus church at Oirschot. |
| Choir: | Dutch Chamber Choir |
| Conductor: | Klaas Stok |
| Other works: | Franz Wüllner, Stabat Mater |
| Code: | 2007 WULL-01 |
