During the course of history many composers have been attracted by
the text of the
Stabat mater. Its author is unknown, but it is
assumed it was a Franciscan monk from the 13th century. During the 15th
century it was part of the liturgy but was then banned from the Church. It
is most remarkable for its emotive language, reflecting the intense emotions
of the Virgin Mary at the foot of the Cross and the feelings her emotions
evoke in the hearts and minds of the faithful. Its emotional character was
exactly the reason that the Church thought it inappropriate for liturgical
use.
The most famous setting of all times is the one by Giovanni Battista
Pergolesi. He composed it shortly before his death. At that time the
Stabat mater had refound the approval of the Church. In 1727 Pope
Benedict XIII sanctioned its use for the Feast of the Seven Sorrows in Lent.
However, Pergolesi's setting was not intended for the Church. It was
commissioned by the Knights of the Virgin of the Seven Sorrows, a Neapolitan
confraternity which previously had performed a setting by Alessandro
Scarlatti every year. The two settings share the same scoring: soprano and
alto with strings and basso continuo.
The popularity of the Pergolesi dates from almost immediately after
its creation. There are plenty of expressions of admiration for the piece
from the 18th century. However, it was also the subject of criticism,
especially because of its operatic character. The way Pergolesi set the text
can still make people knit their brows. It is therefore important to
understand the way the text is depicted in the music. In his liner-notes
Simon Heighes makes some useful remarks in this respect. There is also a
second issue here. It is true that this setting bears the traces of opera.
However, as Heighes emphasizes, it is exactly the galant Neapolitan operatic
style - of which Pergolesi was one of the most prominent representatives -
which allowed to set the text of the
Stabat mater in this manner.
"The directness of expression and transparency of texture which served him
well in the theatre were now used to bring immediate impact and melodic
variety to the long lament of the
Stabat mater". This could well be
one of the main reasons for its unbroken popularity. One doesn't need to sit
through endless dacapo arias with extended coloratura. There are many
moments where the text is graphically illustrated in the music, for instance
the scourging of Jesus (
Quis est homo) or the burning of the heart of
the faithful (
Fac ut ardeat cor meum).
This work's popularity is reflected by the large number of
recordings which are available. I don't know all of them, but over the years
I have heard quite a number, and very few really satisfied me. Sometimes the
operatic character tempts the performers to sing it as if it is a real
opera. There are plenty of recordings with big voices, often with a wide
vibrato, which don't blend at all, and an exaggerated dramatic approach to
the instrumental score. On the other hand, some performers go so far in
trying to avoid this kind of aberration that they produce a rather flat and
unexpressive interpretation. Apparently it is not easy to find the right
approach.
The performers here have come quite close. First of all, Julia
Lezhneva and Philippe Jaroussky are an ideal match. Their voices not only
blend perfectly, sometimes you can hardly tell them apart. That lends their
performance a sense of unity which I have seldom heard in this work before.
They are very responsive to the text: every nuance which Pergolesi used to
illustrate the text is conveyed. The opening section is often admired for
its use of harmony at the service of the text. That comes off to great
effect due to the avoidance of vibrato by both singers. Here and elsewhere
the appoggiaturas are stretched to the maximum which creates moments of
great harmonic tension.
O quam tristis is just one example of intense
expression, whereas the sufferings in the next section (
Quae
moerebat) are vividly exposed. The orchestra also makes its
contribution, although I wonder whether sometimes it goes a bit too far, for
instance in the dynamic outbursts in
Cujus animam gementem. This is
partly the effect of the line-up of I Barocchisti. According to the booklet
it comprises eight violins. That doesn't imply that all of them are playing
here, but the venue where the
Stabat mater was first performed
strongly suggests that a performance with one instrument per part is most
appropriate. The use of more than single strings is the only questionable
aspect of this performance.
In addition to the
Stabat mater only ten sacred works from
Pergolesi's pen are known. Among them are the two Vesper psalms which are
recorded here.
Confitebor tibi Domine may have been performed during
a three-day festival of prayer in Naples at the end of 1732, on the occasion
of an earthquake which shook the city the year before. This setting of Psalm
110 (111) is scored for two solo voices, five-part choir, strings and bc.
The solo parts are both for soprano; it speaks volumes for Jaroussky's
tessitura that he has no problems with his part at all. The work is divided
into a number of sections. The opening quotes the plainchant melody of this
psalm which is repeated in the 'Sicut erat'. In the closing 'Amen' the
soloists suddenly intervene with virtuosic coloratura.
Laudate pueri Dominum is considered a late work, and the
strings are joined by oboes and trumpets. According to the first page of the
booklet it includes solo parts for soprano and alto, but in fact there is
just one solo soprano part which in this performance is divided among
Lezhneva and Jaroussky. It comprises seven sections; two of these are for
solo voice, in three the soprano is joined by the choir. The solo sections
of this Psalm are more operatic than the
Stabat mater and include
cadenzas.
These two works are not that well-known and that makes their
inclusion most welcome, especially if they are sung so beautifully. The
choral parts are performed very well; the choir is agile and its sound
transparent. The two soloists give fine accounts of their parts. However, I
have to mention something in regard to Ms Lezhneva which I have also noticed
in my
review of her disc "Alleluia": her trills sometimes sound a bit harsh, almost
like a hard tremolo. This seems especially to happen when she sings at high
speed. That is a pity because it is not pleasing to hear.
In the booklet Diego Fasolis announces a recording of two other
sacred pieces by Pergolesi. That is something to look forward to. For the
time being let us enjoy this fine disc with what has to be considered one of
the best recordings of the
Stabat mater in the current catalogue.
Johan van Veen
http://www.musica-dei-donum.org
https://twitter.com/johanvanveen
