Stabat MaterStabat Mater

Beautiful and highly dramatic, Antonín Dvorák's Stabat Mater was inspired both by the centuries-old image of the Virgin Mary's vigil at the foot of the cross and by the composer's grief at the deaths of his children. Based upon the traditional Latin text compiled by the thirteenth-century Franciscan Jacopone de Todi, this is one of Dvorák's most moving achievements.
The first of the composer's important sacred works, Stabat Mater premiered in 1880 at the Czech Provisional Theater in Prague, followed by performances in Brno and Budapest, and at London's Albert Hall, where Dvorák conducted. The work's tumultuous popularity led to performances in Germany, Austria, and the United States that won the composer lasting worldwide fame. Its melodic beauty and affecting sincerity keep it an enduring favorite among musicians and music lovers.