Stabat Mater (Jenkins)

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Stabat Mater
Studio album by
Karl Jenkins
Released10 March 2008
Recorded2007
GenreClassical
Length62:02
LabelEMI
ProducerKarl Jenkins
Karl Jenkins chronology
Requiem (Jenkins) Stabat Mater

Stabat Mater is a 2008 composition for choir and orchestra by

Belinda Sykes, who both sings and performs on the duduk
, an Armenian reed instrument.

Background

Written in the 13th century, the title Stabat Mater is actually an abbreviation of the first line, "Stabat Mater dolorosa" ('The sorrowful Mother was standing'). The poem reflects on the suffering of Mary, mother of Jesus, at the time of the Crucifixion. Lasting just over one hour on the debut recording, Jenkins' setting of the 20-verse poem is one of the longest of hundreds of extant settings of the work.

Jenkins' adaptation

Stabat Mater focuses on the suffering of Mary, but unlike most adaptations of the text, Jenkins uses languages other than Latin and his native English. Jenkins' work extends across twelve movements, six of which use texts other than the original poem. They include a choral arrangement of the "

Aramaic
.

The addition of the Armenian

riq.[2]

The first movement is an extended variation of a piece from Adiemus, Cantus: Song of Tears, using the same format (with soft introduction preceding the main melody) and harmonisation. The seventh movement, "And The Mother Did Weep," adapts "Amaté Adea," the seventh movement of the first Adiemus album.

Premiere and recording

Stabat Mater received its world premiere in Liverpool Anglican Cathedral on Saturday 15 March 2008 and featured the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra, Jurgita Adamonyté, Belinda Sykes, and was conducted by Jenkins himself. The work was recorded with the same personnel and the EMO Ensemble [fi] of Helsinki, and was released by EMI on 10 March 2008.[3][4]

Movements

Jenkins' Stabat Mater is divided into 12 movements. Unlike his Requiem, no movements combine both liturgical and non-liturgical texts. The table gives the forces used for the 2007 recording; the score calls for a single contralto soloist (recorded by mezzo-soprano Adamonyte and vocalist Sykes) and a single chorus.[5]

Movement Texts/Language(s)
1. Cantus lacrimosus (full chorus, chamber chorus) Verses 1–4 of the Stabat Mater
2. Incantation (vocalist) Traditional texts (Arabic)
3. Vidit Jesum in tormentis (chamber chorus) Verses 5–10 of the Stabat Mater
4. Lament (mezzo-soprano) A poem by Carol Barratt (English)
5. Sancta Mater (full chorus, chamber chorus) Verses 11–14 of the Stabat Mater
6. Now my life is only weeping (mezzo-soprano, vocalist, chamber chorus) A poem by Rumi (English, Aramaic)
7. And the Mother did weep (chamber chorus) A line by Karl Jenkins (English, Hebrew, Latin, Aramaic, Greek)
8. Virgo Virginum (chamber chorus) Verse 15 of the Stabat Mater
9. Are you lost out in darkness? (mezzo-soprano, vocalist, chamber chorus) The Epic of Gilgamesh (English, Aramaic)
10. Ave verum (chamber chorus)
Ave Verum Corpus
(Latin)
11. Fac, ut portem Christi mortem (chamber chorus) Verses 16–17 of the Stabat Mater
12. Paradisi Gloria (full chorus, chamber chorus) Verses 18–20 of the Stabat Mater

References

  1. ^ Flanning, David (17 March 2008). "Karl Jenkins: Triumph of banal manipulation". The Telegraph. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  2. ^ "Jenkins, Karl: Stabat Mater (2006–07) 62'/ for contralto solo, SATB chorus and orchestra". Boosey. 2008. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  3. ^ "Karl Jenkins: Stabat Mater / (March 2008)". Boosey. 2008. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  4. ^ Eddins, David. "Karl Jenkins: Stabat Mater". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  5. ^ "Boosey & Hawkes Composers, Classical Music and Jazz Repertoire". www.boosey.com. Retrieved 18 March 2021.