"Stabat mater dolorosa..."

1. La meditation au Corps Cassé
2. In midnight sleep (Whitman)
3. Ave maria... gratia plena
4. This world is not conclusion (Dickinson)
5. Epitaph

“such was a poet and shall be and is
-- who’ll solve the depths of horror to defend
a sunbeam’s architecture with his life:
to hold a mountain’s heartbeat in his hand.”
-- e. e. cummings

“Stabat mater dolorosa…” is conceived as a literal sculpture in sound with the formal architecture of a cantata. The work does not actually set the text of the Latin sequence. Rather, it creates a monument to the image of the “sorrowful mother standing.” To this degree, it incorporates a symmetrical structure throughout, both in its five-movement design—with vocal soloist in 2, 3, and 4, and choir only in the middle movement—and in the physical setup of its players on stage. The viola da gamba is the instrumental foil of the countertenor; providing a balance of timbre and hue.

I set texts of Whitman and Dickinson for the countertenor, and the choir and soloist join together for a singing of the “Ave Maria.” These middle movements are framed by two sparse instrumental textures, using only a portion of the ensemble. Contrary to most of my music, no hint of optimism is to be found here. We become witnesses to the act of grieving over a loss.

1. La meditation au Corps Cassé
2. In midnight sleep (Whitman)
3. Ave maria... gratia plena
4. This world is not conclusion (Dickinson)
5. Epitaph

“such was a poet and shall be and is
-- who’ll solve the depths of horror to defend
a sunbeam’s architecture with his life:
to hold a mountain’s heartbeat in his hand.”
-- e. e. cummings

“Stabat mater dolorosa…” is conceived as a literal sculpture in sound with the formal architecture of a cantata. The work does not actually set the text of the Latin sequence. Rather, it creates a monument to the image of the “sorrowful mother standing.” To this degree, it incorporates a symmetrical structure throughout, both in its five-movement design—with vocal soloist in 2, 3, and 4, and choir only in the middle movement—and in the physical setup of its players on stage. The viola da gamba is the instrumental foil of the countertenor; providing a balance of timbre and hue.

I set texts of Whitman and Dickinson for the countertenor, and the choir and soloist join together for a singing of the “Ave Maria.” These middle movements are framed by two sparse instrumental textures, using only a portion of the ensemble. Contrary to most of my music, no hint of optimism is to be found here. We become witnesses to the act of grieving over a loss.