Danesborough Chorus is delighted to be joined by Alina Orchestra and soloists Elizabeth Bottone (soprano), Lauren Easton (mezzo), Justin Lavender (tenor) and Jonathan Gunthorpe (bass) under the baton of Ian Smith for a performance of Dvorak’s Stabat Mater.
The Stabat Mater is a 13th-century poem that describes the imagined sufferings of Mary, the mother of Jesus, as she stood at the foot of the cross during his crucifixion. Dvorak began composing his Stabat Mater in 1876, most probably as a means of coping with the death of his baby daughter just two days after her birth the previous year. In mid 1876, Dvorak stopped work on this piece but then, tragically, in August 1877 he lost yet another child when his 11-month old daughter died by accidental poisoning. Devastated, Dvorak sought solace by taking up work on his Stabat Mater once more. Less than one month later, his 3-year old son died of smallpox, leaving Dvorak and his wife completely childless. Their grief must have been overwhelming and Dvorak’s only means of coping was to bury himself in his work. He finally completed the Stabat Mater on November 13th of that year. Not only is Dvorak’s composition the longest Stabat Mater, it is also widely acknowledged to be one of the most beautiful. It is both a choral masterpiece and a profoundly moving work, with the composer’s grief permeating the heart-tuggingly powerful music while still providing an inspiring and positive statement of faith and hope. Though the Stabat Mater is arguably Dvorak’s best known sacred composition, it is rarely performed nowadays. This concert therefore presents a rare opportunity, not to be missed, to hear this truly unique work.
