# Newbie questions about the Stabat Mater



## laurie

This is my first venture into the Religious Forum, & it's with some (probably) dumb questions; please don't laugh! 
I know next-to-nothing about Religious music (obviously  ) but The Stabat Mater has been popular on Current Listening lately, & I'm curious. Is this _one _specific composition, like, say, Composer X's First Symphony; or a certain _style_ of work? Is it the same from version to version, or does each composer make it their own? Is there a favorite that you would recommend as a first listen to a Stabat Mater?
Thanks for your help & information!


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## cougarjuno

As with most sacred and liturgical music the words are the same (for the most part) but the music is original to each composer. The composer can write in any style he or she desires although since the Stabat Mater is a depiction of the mother after Christ's death, compositions tend to be very solemn. Two Stabat Maters come to mind quickly: Dvorak and Pergolesi.


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## Joe B

laurie said:


> .....
> Is this _one _specific composition, like, say, Composer X's First Symphony; or a certain _style_ of work?
> Is it the same from version to version, or does each composer make it their own?
> Is there a favorite that you would recommend as a first listen to a Stabat Mater?


From wikipedia:

*"The Stabat Mater is a 13th-century Catholic hymn to Mary, which portrays her suffering as Jesus Christ's mother during his crucifixion. Its author may be either the Franciscan friar Jacopone da Todi or Pope Innocent III.[1][2][3] The title comes from its first line, Stabat Mater dolorosa, which means "the sorrowful mother was standing".[4]

The hymn is sung at the liturgy on the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. The Stabat Mater has been set to music by many Western composers, most famously by Palestrina, Vivaldi, Domenico and Alessandro Scarlatti, Pergolesi, Joseph Haydn, Rossini, Dvořák, Verdi, Karol Szymanowski, Poulenc and Arvo Pärt."*

*Is this one specific composition, like, say, Composer X's First Symphony; or a certain style of work?*
All Stabat Mater share da Todi's poem as the source of their composition. Usually sung in Latin, but also translated in parts to English and Arabic by some composers (Karl Jenkins). In effect, all Stabat Mater's share the same lyrics, but the musical compositions vary by time period as well as composer.

*Is it the same from version to version, or does each composer make it their own?*

Each composer makes it their own. The emotional content of the Stabat Mater is rich soil where a composer can explore loss, pain, suffering, helplessness, etc. Several composers have turned to it when processing personal loss in their own lives.

*Is there a favorite that you would recommend as a first listen to a Stabat Mater?*

No right/wrong place to start. I have not yet heard them all, so I won't comment on "best". But "favorite" I can answer. Right now my favorite Stabat Mater is by Paul Mealor recorded by Tenebrae on the disc "A Tender Light". Szymanowski, Poulenc, Pärt, and Howell are also at the top. But I've yet to listen to Dvorak, Rossini, or Verdi; so nothing solid about "favorite".


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## Genoveva

The OP might wish to note that the Stabat Mater is only one among several works of this nature in the category of "sacred music". Others include "Magnificat", "Pange Lingua", "Tantum Ergo", "Salve Regina", "Regina Caeli", "Dixit Dominus". There are others.

They're all mainly of Medieval origin, and are usually performed at different times of the year, or for special services, e.g "Benediction" and "vespers" in the R.C Church. They are by no means confined to the R.C Church, as some Anglican churches use them too, as well as Orthodox.

The "Magnificat" is one of the most common type of all such works. Several composers wrote pieces with this title. There's none better than the version by J.S Bach, BWV 243. An especially good version of this is by the Ricercar Consort.


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## Ingélou

My favourite Stabat Mater is by Vivaldi.


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## Josquin13

The "Ultimate Stabat Mater" website is informative & comprehensive:

https://www.stabatmater.info/

Here's some further information about the text that composers have set to music:

https://www.stabatmater.info/stabat-mater/texts-translations-stabat-mater-dolorosa/

and here's a valuable listing of all the composers that have written Stabat Maters, by country of origin:

https://www.stabatmater.info/composer/countries-of-origin/

Three essential Stabat Maters, IMO, are those composed by Josquin Desprez, Orlando Lassus (or di Lasso), and Palestrina, three of the giants of the Renaissance:














I'd also recommend the following (which are personal favorites):

Pergolesi: https://www.amazon.com/Pergolesi-St...8&qid=1523378862&sr=1-4&keywords=stabat+mater OR: https://www.amazon.com/Pergolesi-St...&qid=1523378971&sr=1-17&keywords=stabat+mater

Vivaldi: https://www.amazon.com/Vivaldi-Stab...&qid=1523378862&sr=1-10&keywords=stabat+mater

Haydn: https://www.amazon.com/Stabat-ROZAR...1523379112&sr=1-5&keywords=stabat+mater+haydn

Dvorak: https://www.amazon.com/Dvorak-Staba...2&sr=1-2&keywords=stabat+mater+dvorak+kubelik

Pärt:https://www.amazon.com/Arbos-Hillia...id=1523379395&sr=1-1&keywords=arvo+part+arbos (This 1994 ECM recording may have been more recently remastered, not sure.)


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## Nate Miller

the Benedictine Monks of the abbey of St Maurice & St Maur have recorded a number of the Gregorian hymns. Stabat Mater is a Gregorian hymn

If you want to hear the "original" version, the chant version of the melody (and that is all there is to a Gregorian hymn) is a really good place to start because that is where all the composers who wrote settings of the Stabat Mater started

the best place for the liturgical background on the Gregorian hymns is probably a Catholic site like New Advent


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