TWO SETTINGS OF STABAT MATER
Straight after a visit to il-Haģar Museum where I enjoyed, with two friends, the Francesco Zahra exhibition, we entered the splendid, opulent Baroque basilica to enjoy a double dose of sacred music by two masters. We happened to be familiar with both the venue and the music and felt privileged to listen to these two works.
Only five years separate Pergolesi from Abos. Both died prematurely and Pergolesi’s fate was even more tragic as he was a mere 26 years old to Abos’s 45. It is not unlikely that they could have known of one another. Whether they did or not, their music and setting of the same text of the Stabat Mater brought them together during this fine performance.
IL Coro della Farnesina is not new to Malta as I heard them twice before here. This particular evening a few days ago was their first visit to Gozo. They were, as always, under the direction of their very energetic foundress Nancy Milesis Romano.
This all-female choir normally consists of a dozen members. They are a well-trained, compact, very well-balanced and dedicated vocal ensemble. Much to their credit as well as their director’s, the two soloists from within their ranks, who have powerfully assertive voices, blend so very well when rejoining the ranks.
Some fourteen years separate the two works.
The Abos Stabat Mater is dated 1750 and is divided into six movements to different and aptly contrasting tempi. The numbers of stanzas in each movement vary from just one stanza in the 1st, 5th and 6th (Amen) and six in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th movements. Very popular in its day it was neglected until a few decades ago it was revived in 2002 thanks to the edition based on two extant MSS scores by the late VIAF’s founder Joseph Vella (1942-2018). One is glad to that thanks to him and other pioneering researchers Abos and his music are gaining an increasing interest in his very beautiful and very stylish music.
Pergolesi virtually composed his setting of Jacopone da Todi’s famous sequence on his death-bed. This may unconsciously add to the tremendous fame and appeal of his work, and, with his comical intermezzo La Serva Padrona, his place in the composers’ Hall of Fame is guaranteed.
Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater is divided into twelve movements of which a selection of half of them was performed furing this event. They were the opening Stabat Mater dolorosa; n.6 Quis est homo; n.8 Fac ut ardeat cor meum; n.9. Sancta Mater; n.11 Inflammatus et accensus and n. 12 Quando corpus morietur – Amen.
I must say I was intrigued by this version because whenever I heard this work it was always a succession of arias and duets for the soloists and no choir. This version did have a few of the former but it also involved a lot of choral work. Both soloists contributed greatly to the success of these two different versions of a very popular sacred work. The choir was absolutely great and wonderfully homogenous. There was a spiritually uplifting effect because of the interpretation of the text: which is exactly what any setting of any sacred work aims at stimulating. It also goes without saying that the small instrumental ensemble was there providing support at all times and for which they deserve a big “thank you”.
Albert George Storace.