The moving theme of a mother deeply grieving for her child is heard in three poignant pieces on March 20th at 8:00 PM in the Nieuwe Badkapel in The Hague. The Residentie Bachkoor, known for its annual performances of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion and St. John Passion, is highlighting the female perspective in the Passion story this year: that of Mary. The Residentie Bachkoor will sing the Stabat Maters by Pergolesi, d’Astorga, and Nystedt.
Versatility of the Residentie Bachkoor
“A surprising alternative this year to the St. Matthew Passion our audiences have come to expect,” says conductor Rodrigo Lluch. “Unlike Bach’s well-known work, which tells the story of Jesus’s Passion, the Stabat Mater intimately recounts Mary’s suffering. She stands ‘stricken with grief and tears streaming down her cheeks’ beneath the cross. Pergolesi and d’Astorga’s Stabat Mater from the Baroque period form a surprising musical contrast with Knut Nystedt’s modern version. This gives our audience the opportunity to hear the versatility of the Residentie Bachkoor. A beautiful program for anyone who wants to experience Easter from a different perspective.”
Composers
Pergolesi’s piece is one of the most beloved versions of the Stabat Mater. It has ranked high in the NPO4 Classical Top 400 for years. He wrote it on his deathbed at only 26. Few people know the name of Emanuele d’Astorga these days. The Sicilian nobleman was an adventurer in life and a legend after his death. The Stabat Mater, his only religious work, was frequently performed in the eighteenth century. He has been undeservedly forgotten. Knut Nystedt, on the other hand, is one of the most influential Norwegian composers of the twentieth century. His Stabat Mater is a powerful piece, in which he divides emotions between a choir and a single cello. Lucia Swarts, a much-lauded composer, plays the cello part in it.
Origin Stabat Mater
The originally medieval poem Stabat Mater is dedicated to Mary’s grief over the suffering of her son, Christ. The opening words literally read: “The mother stood sorrowful.” It depicts her not as a distant saint, but as a human mother witnessing the cruel death of her child. It invites the listener to introspection and relaxation.
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi—Stabat mater
Emanuele d’Astorga—Stabat mater
Knut Nystedt—Stabat mater
Bachkoor Residence
Bach Orchestra Residence
Griet de Geyter – soprano
Kaspar Kröner – countertenor
Juncai Zhang – tenor
Lars Klamer – bass
Lucia Swarts – cello
Rodrigo Lluch – conductor
Tickets: €30,- / Ooievaarspas and young people up to 25 years €15,-.
Order: https://bachensembles.nl/concerten