Elisabetta Brusa
About the composer
Born in Milan, Italy, in 1954 and naturalized as a British citizen in February 2018, Elisabetta Brusa began composing at the very young age of 5, creating over 30 piano pieces as well as a string quartet before beginning her Composition studies at the Music Conservatory in Milan under the guidance of Bruno Bettinelli. She graduated in 1980 with Azio Corghi. From 1976 to 1985, she frequently traveled to the UK to be mentored by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies in Dartington and Hans Keller in London. Among the numerous awards she received are the 1st prize in “The Washington International Competition for Composition for String Quartet” with her “Belsize” String Quartet in 1982, the “Fromm Foundation Fellowship,” and a “Fulbright Scholarship” in 1983, which allowed her to attend Composition courses led by Hans Werner Henze and Gunther Schuller at Tanglewood (US). From 1988 to 1990, she was awarded fellowships from the MacDowell Colony (US) for artistic residencies, where she worked on her first “Symphony” for large orchestra and other works.
Elisabetta Brusa was a full-time member of the faculty at the G. Verdi Music Conservatory in Milan, where she taught Composition and Orchestration from 1985 to 2018. Previously, she taught at the conservatories of Vicenza, Mantova, and Brescia.
About the Stabat Mater
| Date: | 2020 |
| Performers: | Orchestra and soprano |
| Length: | 11.33 minutes |
| Particulars: | Elisabetta Brusa’s Stabat Mater was written as a trial for her Requiem, reflecting her evolving spiritual journey and deep empathy for human suffering. Composed to explore the intense sorrow in Jacopone da Todi's text, Brusa's Stabat Mater is characterized by profound emotional depth. The music alternates between the keys of E and E flat, creating sharp contrasts that underscore the work's tragic nature. The vocal lines, particularly in the soprano, are pushed to their expressive limits, heightening the portrayal of Mary's pain. Unlike her Requiem, which aims for a smoother, more resigned atmosphere, the Stabat Mater is intentionally harsher and more abrupt, mirroring Brusa’s personal contemplation of suffering and the meaning of the Cross. This composition is a testament to her ability to intertwine traditional forms with her unique voice, creating a deeply moving and resonant piece. |
| Textual variations: | All twenty stanza's of the Latin text have been used, with the 'Analecta'- version and the 'Vatican'- version of the text interwoven. |
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Information about the recording
| CD: | Elisabetta Brusa, Requiem – Stabat Mater, Naxos 8.574589 |
| More info: | A world premiere, recorded 26 – 28 June 2023 at Studio 6, Media Services and Support Trust Fund, Budapest, Hungary |
| Orchestra: | Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra |
| Conductor: | Riccardo Frizza |
| Soloists: | Réka Kristóf, mezzo soprano |
| Other works: | Elisabetta Brusa, Requiem op. 25 |
| Code: | BRUS 01 |
