Stabat Mater by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi

Stabat Mater de Giovanni Battista Pergolesi by the Orchestra I Virtuosi Composé in 1736 shortly before the death of Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, the Stabat Mater is one of the major works of sacred baroque music. Commissioned in Naples to replace a version deemed too austere, this piece mixes spiritual depth and almost operatic expressiveness, bringing a new sensitivity to the genre. The medieval text, attributed to Jacopone da Todi, describes the pain of the Vierge Marie facing the crucifixion of Christ. Pergolesi translates its emotional intensity through poignant dissonances, painful harmonies and melodies of great fragility, creating a subtle balance between meditation and emotion. Structured in twelve movements alternating duets, solo arias and instrumental passages, the work plays on strong expressive contrasts. Some movements mark by their dramatic tension, others by a pure and introspective meditation. The sober instrumentation, limited to strings and continuo, puts the voices in the foreground and reinforces the intimate character of the piece. From its creation, the Stabat Mater knows a considerable success throughout Europe, influencing in particular Bach. Even today, this work remains a summit of the baroque repertoire, touching by its sincerity, its beauty and its emotional intensity. I Virtuosi Orchestre de Chambre – Soloists : Logan Lopez Gonzalez, countertenor – Aline Giaux, soprano – Marc Grauwels, flute – Guy Van Waas, continuo Giovanni Battista Pergolesi ( 1710 – 1736 ) Ouverture de La Serva Padrona Lo frate ‘nnamorato for orchestra Allegro Spirituoso Concerto in G major for flute and orchestra Spirituoso Adagio Allegro Spirituoso Stabat Mater for soprano, countertenor, and orchestra Stabat Mater dolorosa (Duetto : Soprano & Countertenor) Cujus animam gementem (Aria : Alto) O quam tristis et afflicta (Duetto : Soprano & Countertenor) Quae moerebat et dolebat (Aria : Soprano) Quis est homo qui non fleret (Duetto : Soprano & Countertenor) Vidit suum dulcem natum (Aria : Countertenor) Eia Mater, fons amoris (Duetto : Soprano & Countertenor) Fac ut ardeat cor meum (Aria : Soprano) Sancta Mater, istud agas (Duetto : Soprano & Countertenor) Fac ut portem Christi mortem (Aria : Countertenor) Inflammatus et accensus (Duetto : Soprano & Countertenor) Quando corpus morietur / Amen (Duetto : Soprano & Countertenor) Eglise Saint-Pierre - Parvis Saint-Pierre