D. Pergolesi "Stabat Mater": history, video, music, listen

D. Pergolesi "Stabat Mater"

Full of light sadness, penetrating into the heart of the music "Stabat mater" Giovanni Pergolesi - the pearl of world music culture. She strikes from the first sounds with her sincere desire for joy, despite the strong emotional pain. It heals and affects the most delicate strings of the human soul.

Stabat Mater

Among the treasures of spiritual music are separate songs on the medieval text "Stabat Mater dolorosa" (It was the mother who was mourning "). They amaze with a special soulful content and character of sound. to the soul of man, give rise to it prayers of repentance and awareness of the frailty of the earthly path, the "Stabat Mater" is a phenomenon of genuine human compassion. This is an observation from the side and empathy for the feelings of Bogomama and an attempt to feel the pain of others.

The image of the silently mourning, suffering mother, seeing her son dying on the cross, is so piercing in itself that it leaves no one indifferent. Compassion for Jesus, who sacrifices for the sake of humanity, is full of gratitude and a sense of the divine nature of Christ. While the image of the mother, the image of Mary is truly earthly, meek and humane.

In the Renaissance, many artists turned to this topic, each in its own way interpreting it. The most famous is Pieta Michelangelo - "Lamentation of Christ" (from Italian pieta - mercy). In Russia, the image of the Grieving Mother received a new interpretation after the Great Patriotic War; it is personified by the bronze sculpture of the Motherland on the Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd.

In music, many composers addressed this topic. The canonical text in Latin for Stabat Mater was approved by the Catholic clergy. But there is also an alternative option, it belongs to the authorship of the Italian Franciscan monk (according to a different version to the lawyer) Jacopone da Todi.

This is a model of deep sorrow and spiritual enlightenment, humility and spiritual strength, sacrifice and hope. It is rather difficult to convey such complex and somewhat incomprehensible character of imagery in music. The most famous are Stabat Mater A. Vivaldi, J. Haydn, F. Schubert, J. Rossini, A. Dvořák, J. Verdi, from the modern - F. Poulenc, Ch. Penderetsky, Arvo Pärt.

Stabat Mater Pergolesi

In the history of music, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi remained the youngest composer with a tragic fate. Even Mozart, whose early death was often sad to art critics and admirers of the great composer, lived less than 36 years. Franz Schubert, "forever young romantic", lived to the 31st anniversary. Pergolesi died at the age of 26 years.

Pergolesi is a pseudonym, the real name of the composer is Giovanni Draghi. Pergola is the city where Giovanni's parents came from. In memory of them, he called himself Pergolesi as a child. At the age of 15 he moved to Naples, where he graduated from the Conservatory of Music.

The musical legacy he left behind in almost 10 years of creative work is impressive for connoisseurs. He managed to make a brilliant career for his time - he quickly became famous as the author of 4 opera-seria, a huge number of pieces of vocal and instrumental genre (oratorio, cantatas, masses, motets), solo instruments and ensembles, 4 symphonies. He managed to make a splash in Paris when he brought back (for the first time in the world) an opera-buffa, rightly suggesting that the comic plot is relevant not only on the stage of the dramatic theater, but also in music.

Many researchers believe that Pergolesi’s giftedness in music would have surpassed even the genius of Mozart or Bach, had he lived a little longer. We can only guess how the flower of talent of this beautiful young man would bloom. But the fact that he managed to create, enough to stand still in reverence - his music is full of deep feelings, vivid images, psychological and spiritual maturity.

History of creation

Perhaps the reason for all this was the personal drama that the composer outlived during that period of his short life. He was in love with a young Neapolitan who responded to him in return. But her parents were against the union of her daughter with a poor musician, the girl was sent to a monastery, where she soon died from consumption. And then, against the background of mental anguish, the disease overcame Giovanni himself.

He was 25 when the disease forced him to leave the bustling Naples and move to the provincial town of Pozzuoli, where he spent the last year of his life. Until his death in 1735, he worked on Stabat Mater. This happened in the monastery of the Order of the Capuchins. In his cell hung a picture of the Virgin Mary. It is believed that the image of the Most Pure wonderfully reminded him of a dead beloved. The endured love suffering and agony from the deadly disease found a way out in music so beautiful that today it causes a feeling of devastation and enlightenment, what is called the word "catharsis" - purification through pain.

According to legend, the author of a poetic poem also experienced a similar personal tragedy in his life, having lost another spouse untimely into the world, which inspired him to write a heartfelt text. Living at different times, but having experienced similar events, Giovanni Pergolesi and Jacopone de Todi became the authors of a unique work for all times.

Music

Contemporaries did not appreciate the work, considering it too cold and full of "extra decorations" (passages). Pergolesi combined the traditions of Bach's polyphony and the melody of Italian opera here. The real awareness of his artistic value came much later.

The composition of the cantata Stabat Mater is an alternation of solo and duet numbers (13 in all), where the main affect is grief, and contrasting lyrical and solemn parts of the character line up around it. Such a structure makes the church work close to the opera. And in general, some "theatricality" is inherent in him.

Calm melody and rhythm set up for detached contemplation and immersion in deep reflection. Despite the contrast of numbers and even their diversity, drama develops surprisingly holistically and harmoniously. At the same time, expressive means are used concisely and with restraint.

Through the development of musical and imaginative material allows you to perceive the cantata "in the same breath." The gradual movement towards light translates into the solemn hymn final Tutti "Amen", repeated throughout the movement. In the music of Stabat Mater there is no mourning - it is hope, humility and the greatest love for all of humanity.

Best numbers

Stabat Mater Dolorosa (listen)

Cuius Animam Gementem(listen)

Music Stabat Mater in movies

The subtle lyrical psychologism of music attracts not only conductors and performers. The authors of modern films use it for soundtracks and individual scenes, the expressiveness of which must be emphasized. You can hear it in such famous films as:

• "Summer on Stan Island" (2015);
• "Saint Laurent. Style is me" (2014);
• "The death of Europe" (2012);
• "Prohibited Reception" (2011);
• "Full bummer" (2006);
• Blue Lunch (2001);
• Chocolate (2000);
• Titanic (1997);
• Farinelli Neuter (1994);
• Amadeus (1984);
• The Mirror (1975);
• "Harlequin in Venice" (1952).

There are also several versions of the performance of the work not only in the stage version, but also in the interiors of Catholic cathedrals and famous museums. Interesting from an artistic point of view, they consider the performance of Stabat Mater by the Pergolesi choir of boys of the Choral College named after Sveshnikov (managed by Sveshnikov). Children's voices gave him a completely new unique sound, and the author's interpretation of the conductor is considered one of the most successful. It is noteworthy that the recording of this performance was made at a time when the church life was completely absent in the Soviet Union (1957), spiritual works were not performed (with very rare exceptions), there was no common understanding and model performance of such music. Nevertheless, this record can be listened to now - and be surprised by its beauty.

More than 300 years have passed since the creation of this masterpiece. But even today the magic power of its impact has not diminished for a moment. Listeners gather in concert halls and in the open air, without missing an opportunity to join the great art.