Italian Renaissance composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c. 1525-1594) was one of the most influential figures in the history of Western classical music. Born in the town of Palestrina near Rome, he is commonly known simply as "Palestrina," renowned for his significant contributions to sacred music, particularly in choral polyphony.
Palestrina's compositions played a pivotal role during the Counter-Reformation, a period marked by efforts to clarify and enhance the liturgical music of the Catholic Church in response to the Protestant Reformation. His works are distinguished by their clear and transparent polyphony, emphasizing balanced and seamless voice leading. Palestrina's style became synonymous with the idealized sound of Renaissance polyphony, widely regarded as models of liturgical propriety.
The Stabat Mater by Palestrina appears to have been composed for Pope Gregory XIV, who held the papacy from 1590 until his death in 1591, making it likely that Palestrina created this piece during this period, which also coincides with the final years of his life.
Soon after its creation, the Stabat Mater became one of the most esteemed pieces in the repertoire of the Pope's private chapel. Traditionally sung in the Sistine Chapel during the Palm Sunday offertory in the seventeenth century, Richard Wagner later adapted Palestrina's Stabat Mater in 1848 to make it more accessible for larger choirs.
The Stabat Mater is a motet for unaccompanied double chorus, comprising 20 sections corresponding to the 20 verses of the text. Scored for double choir, both set for SATB choir, it features early instances of anticipation and numerous suspensions. The texture leans towards density and homophony rather than counterpoint.
The two choruses alternate throughout the piece, typically per line of verse. There are moments of full chorus where both choirs sing together, as well as sections with soloists within the two choirs.
The piece includes tempo changes: commencing as an Adagio ma non troppo, it slows to a Largo at the beginning of the 9th verse. Returning to the initial tempo at the onset of the 11th verse, albeit slightly animated, it slows to Piu Lento at the start of the 20th verse before concluding with a Largo for the final nine bars.
Listen to: Ensembles Gli Angeli Genève and Quatuor Sine Nomine led by Stephan MacLeod during the Utrecht Early Music Festival 2019.