Houston Chronicle LogoHearst Newspapers Logo

Exploring the pathos of Pergolesi's 'Stabat Mater'

By
Antoine Plante is artistic director of the Mercury period-instrument ensemble.
Antoine Plante is artistic director of the Mercury period-instrument ensemble.Mercury

It was a Sunday morning in the south of France, and the beautifully sorrowful notes of Giovanni Battista Pergolesi's "Stabat Mater" rang out from a young man's trombone.

Antoine Plante was only 15 years old at the time, studying at a jazz music festival. He may not have known it then, but listening to his roommate practice this piece was a pivotal moment in his life. "Now, years later, I don't recall his name," said the artistic director of Mercury Houston. "But the music he played deeply impressed me and inspired me to seek out more Baroque music."

More Information

'Handel & Pergolesi'

When: 8 p.m. Saturday

Where: Stude Concert Hall at Rice University, 6100 Main

Tickets: $10-$70; 713-533-0080, mercuryhouston.org

His fascination with repertoire from this era ultimately led to the founding of his Houston-based period instrument chamber ensemble. This weekend, the orchestra - accompanied by soprano Dominique Labelle and countertenor Daniel Taylor - will open the Houston Early Music Festival with Pergolesi's emotional masterpiece, written in 1736, alongside arias and duets from operas by George Frideric Handel.

Advertisement

Article continues below this ad

Originally composed as liturgical music, "Stabat Mater" is based on a 13th-century medieval poem by the same name that embodies the pain of the Virgin Mary as she stood in agony watching her son being crucified. Pergolesi uses a slow tempo, Plante said, but the rich harmony is interspersed with temporary dissonances, reflecting the emotional turmoil within the text.

The appeal to pathos is strong in many respects, inviting listeners to not only empathize with Mary, but to carry a small part of her distress in the same way that she desired to bear Christ's suffering. At the moment of Christ's death, the strings calm, resembling his last few breaths, Plante said.

Another layer of the poem is revealed midway through, and the tone becomes one of hope amid the overwhelming spiritual desolation. Using the first-person perspective, the text captivates the imagination, inciting a sense of closeness to Mary, as if one were standing next to her, hand in hand.

"We ask her to give us strength, we are inspired by her and want to join her in her true love of Christ," Plante said. "Then, maybe, we can aspire to the glory of paradise."

The style of liturgical compositions is expected to differ from that of music performed at an opera house. Yet, in this piece, Pergolesi manages to minimize the distinction between the two by adding more drama than what is standard for a sacred work, Plante said. "He is also bringing the classical style forward, moving away from the Baroque expectations. His aesthetic was original," he said. "He was criticized for it and was also really successful for it."

Advertisement

Article continues below this ad

The piece became the most frequently printed composition of the 18th century and one of Pergolesi's best-known works. It would also be his last creation, finishing it shortly before succumbing to tuberculosis at the age of 26.

Once the public became aware of his early passing, there was a sudden demand for his music, and publishers capitalized on it by attaching his name to works by obscure composers - "dishonestly creating instant 'best-sellers,' " Plante said.

Pergolesi's legacy lives on today, particularly through "Stabat Mater," and although initially controversial, the piece proved progressive for the art form.

"The beauty of the poem speaks to us on a very human level. The image is strong; the text is so very poignant," Plante said. "Music makes the poetry stronger, the poetry makes the music transcendent."

By