a musical journey through the ages...

Gravina, Euchar

Euchar Gravina

About the composer

Euchar Gravina was born in Malta in 1994. There he studied piano and organ and followed classes in Maltese literature. He is interested in the relationships between the fields of architecture and music and other disciplines. He now lives in London. At the Royal Academy of Music he studied composition and afterwards choral conducting . In 2009 he was appointed organist of Coro Bel Canto, a leading Maltese Choir.
Gravinas output spans pieces written for soloists and chamber ensembles to choral and orchestral works, as well as electronics. One of his appointments is as Artistic Director at Waterloo Festival, bringing together artists, musicians and the local neighbourhood. He is a conductor of community choirs in Waterloo and Southwark and a piano teacher. He also sings tenor with the London Symphony Chorus.
APS Bank Malta has in its National Competition for Maltese composers the category composing a sacred oratorio-type work on the Latin text of the Stabat Mater. In 2012 Gravina was the winner of the Special Jury Price in this category. The international jury was impressed that he was only 17 years old at the time of entry.

About the Stabat Mater

Date: 2011
Performers:

Soprano solo, mixed chorus and orchestra (strings, woodwind and brass instruments, percussion and harp)

Length: 61,57 minutes
Particulars:

The twenty stanzas are spread over seven movements and three pictures. The first picture (stanza 1-8) visualises in music Mary standing by her crucified son. In the second picture (stanza 9-28) the work reaches its greatest dramatic climax: with an eight voice choir plus soloist, but also with a thin movement. This sounds like  a post minimalist prayer. In this part, the pilgrim, describing the scene, stretches out his hands to Mary with feelings of pain, reverence and regret. The final picture is about victoriae and paradisi gloria.
In the cd- booklet the composer says: the whole musical journey of Stabat Mater does not seem essentially Christian or Marian (...)  Stabat Mater is thus not only the struggle for redemption for the celestial afterlife, but also a battle for survival in a world of mosaic changes, strife, and difficulties.
I was very impressed with the use of all the timbres of the orchestra and the choir and with the alternation of grand and intimate passages and with the use of contemporary tones next to the old Gregorian melody.

Textual variations:

The Analecta-version of the text has been used.

Colour bar:

Information about the recording

CD: APS bank (Malta) Euchar Gravina – Stabat Mater GAGA Gr 27
More info:

Recorded:  November 9-11 2015 at studio Seven, Birkirkara, Malta. World premiere November 13 2015.
The APS Bank Malta intensively supports (young) composers and performers.
In 2021 the Ultimate Stabat Mater Website Foundation received this CD as a donation from the marketing unit of the APS Bank. Our heartfelt thanks for this!

Orchestra: Malta Philharmonic Orchestra
Choir: Coro Bel Canto
Conductor: Christopher Muscat
Soloists:

Andriana Yordanova, soprano

Code: GRA 01

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