Peter Cornelius
About the composer
Peter Cornelius (1824-1874) was born in Mainz, Germany. He as a man of many talents, composer, violinist, poet, actor and a linguistic genius, but filled with indecision and not able to devote himself to one profession.
Cornelius was a friend and admirer of Liszt, Wagner and Berlioz. His music did not meet with much success during his lifetime, even though Liszt himself conducted his first opera Der Barbier von Bagdad.
After a festival devoted to his work, organized in Weimar in 1905, especially his operas became very popular. He wrote beautiful songs (in which he used poems of his own!), which are still sung today, in particular his Weihnachtslieder. His church music is regarded as his best work.
About the Stabat Mater
| Date: | 1849 |
| Performers: | Soprano, alto, tenor, bass, choir and orchestra |
| Length: | 43.27 minutes |
| Particulars: | The work is divided into 10 sections, in accordance with the structure of the poem. Its originality is without doubt: The duo for soprano and bass is accompanied by a solo cello, there are three a cappella choruses which bring back the polyphony of the Renaissance and a brilliant fugue by choir and soloists. Cornelius is one of the composers who omits the final "Amen". |
| Textual variations: | The "Analecta"-text is used, but with following changes: |
| Colour bar: |
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Information about the recording
| CD1: | Harmonia Mundi HMA 1905206: Peter Cornelius, Stabat Mater |
| More info: | The two major sacred works of Cornelius. Recorded at the Théâtre de la Colonne, Miramas (Bouches-du-Rhône) in March 1989. I bought this CD in a record shop in the Netherlands, 1997. |
| Orchestra: | Orchestre Régional de Cannes-Provence-Alpes |
| Choir: | Choeur Régional de Cannes-Provence-Alpes |
| Conductor: | Michel Piquemal |
| Soloists: | Danielle Borst, soprano |
| Other works: | Peter Cornelius: Requiem |
| Code: | 1997 (CORN 01) |
| CD2: | Stabat Mater 2006 SSM 22006. |
| More info: | The cd is a live registration of the performance in 2006 in Oirschot. The cd was published by the Stabat Mater Foundation. |
| Orchestra: | Brabants Orkest |
| Choir: | Brabant Koor |
| Conductor: | Fabrice Bolton |
| Soloists: | Lenneke Ruiten, soprano |
| Other works: | Joseph Rheinberger: Stabat Mater, Franz Schubert: Stabat Mater (D.175) |
| Code: | 2006 (CORN 02) |
