For centuries the Stabat Mater, like much of the classical music world has been dominated by male composers. A woman could, or rather was permitted to, lend her voice to sweet melodies, but the realms of composing, conducting, and playing instruments playing were predominantly claimed by men. If a woman ever ventured to put her …
Egon Kracht’s Stabat Mater: A Unique Perspective on Grief
Egon Kracht’s Stabat Mater Stabat Pater offers a new approach to the traditional Stabat Mater, expanding its focus to include the father’s grief. This composition (2011) challenges the conventional narrative by acknowledging that the pain of losing a child is shared by both parents, not just the mother. Notably, the performance on September 8, 2024 …
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Holland Baroque Brings Monastic Manuscripts to Life
Some concerts are so exceptional that a single glimpse is enough to convey their brilliance to the world. Just listen and watch the video and photo below. It features the Stabat Mater set to a Gregorian melody from around 1653 by Benedictus à Sancto Josepho. We, boardmembers of the Ultimate Stabat Mater Website Foundation, had …
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A Stabat Mater Referencing Animal Rights
The Italian composer Stefano Paparozzi (born in Rome, 1986) has written several Vegan Cantatas, including a Stabat Mater. This cantata is dedicated not only to the suffering of Mary but also calls attention to the animals that suffer and are killed by humans. The text he uses for the soprano part is from the Stoic …
Reviews from Readers
In mid-March, the book Stabat Mater Dolorosa was released. Here are some reader responses from Amazon: From US, Florida:Hannie’s book is a tour de force of information about the diversity of this traditional piece of music devoted to the Sorrowful Mother. I have read the book through and through, and I learned so much about …
Latest additions: Finotti, Helisek and Garcia
The founder of the Ultimate Stabat Mater Website, Hans van der Velden (1937 – 2005), has meticulously kept track of the growing number of composers in his collection. This week, we added three new composers—Marco Finotti, Timothy Helisek, and Carlos Garcia—bringing our total to an impressive 341 composers. Let’s take a moment to reflect on …
Exploring Dance Interpretations of Stabat Mater
As you probably know, for three decades, our exploration of the Stabat Mater has extended far beyond the realm of music, encompassing various forms of artistic expression that draw inspiration from this ancient text. From paintings to sculptures, poetry to literature, and film to dance, each interpretation offers a unique lens through which to contemplate …
Manuscript of Durante’s Stabat Mater: Completed and Performed
For years the Stabat Mater by Francesco Durante (1684 – 1755) has been on our list of missing CD’s. Durante was a teacher of Pergolesi and a pupil of Alessandro Scarlatti. He was a famous composer. We wondered why is there no recording of his Stabat Mater to be found? The answer turned out to …
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The day after Stabat Mater
The Stabat Mater tells the story of Good Friday. Today, March 30th, 2024, is Holy Saturday. Peter Darcy, a writer and editor, wrote a poem about Holy Saturday’s events before the Resurrection. With a background spanning thirty years in the non-profit sector and various business ventures, Darcy’s main passion lies in educating others about Beauty, Truth, and Goodness. He is also the creator of the acclaimed spirituality website, Sacred Windows.
Thanks, Ultimate Stabat Mater Website community!
On March 15, 2024, we proudly announced the publication of the English edition of our book, Stabat Mater Dolorosa. This milestone marked the culmination of extensive collaboration and dedication from the Ultimate Stabat Mater Website community.In our pursuit of excellence for this project, we turned to our dedicated community through the Ultimate Stabat Mater Website …
