Sat 29 Mar
A. Dvořák
Stabat Mater
8:30pm | St. Stephen’s Cathedral
Listen to Antonín Dvořák's ‘Stabat Mater’, one of the most poignant settings of the medieval poem about Mary's suffering in the face of her humiliated and abused son on the cross.
The piece was first composed in the original version for choir, soloists and piano performed here, which marks a decisive turning point in Dvořák's oeuvre and reflects his deep personal grief. During this time, Dvořák had to mourn the loss of his three children within a short space of time, making the composition a deeply intimate expression of his pain and faith.
The instrumentation reveals the emotional depth and spiritual dimension of the text and enables an immediate connection between the work and the audience. It offers direct access to the roots of a work that was to achieve world fame and remains a moving testimony to human grief and hope.
The Ad Libitum choir with the outstanding pianist Kyoko Yoshizawa and renowned vocal soloists under the direction of Heinz Ferlesch will perform this original version of Dvořák's ‘Stabat Mater’ in St Stephen's Cathedral. The Latin prayer from the Middle Ages, which found its way into the liturgy as a sequence in the Marian Feast of the Seven Sorrows and as a hymn, is an appeal to humanity and stands above any confessional tradition. It combines the Passion of Christ with the hope of the Resurrection and is therefore a deeply moving musical reflection for Lent and preparation for Easter.
