Szymanowski: Stabat Mater; Harnasie

Szymanowski Stabat Mater Harnasie
    
Artist: BBC Symphony Chorus, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Edward Gardner, Lucy Crowe, Pamela Helen Stephen, Robert Murray, Gábor Bretz
Genre: Children's Music
Label: Chandos

The Stabat Mater of 1926 is not just Szymanowski's choral masterpiece but also his greatest work, and has even twice made it into the programmes of the RTÉ NSO: in 1979 under Albert Rosen, and 20 years later under Lubomir Mátl at the Wexford Festival. It's one of the outstanding settings of this much-set text, although Szymanowski chose a Polish translation by Józef Jankowski rather than the familiar Latin. You might best think of the piece as a kind of voluptuous keening, presented in exotic, often floating harmonies, and incorporating a soprano solo that the composer himself called "the most beautiful melody I have ever managed to write". Harnasie (1931) is a sweet'n'sour ballet with strong folk influences. Both sound well under Edward Gardner. url.ie/f1f2

Michael Dervan

Michael Dervan

Michael Dervan is a music critic and Irish Times contributor