Today’s choice – who was Pergolesi?
- A Neapolitan composer (which means from Naples) who was very popular in the Baroque period.
- He wrote operas and church music, but died at the age of 26.
- This is his greatest hit – so popular that Bach made a transcription of it (as Tilge, Höchster, meine Sünden, BWV 1083).
- Notice in the first movement the gentle walking bass in the continuo, then the chain of suspensions – the text focuses on the Virgin Mary seeing Jesus on the cross, so the mood is minor, anguished.
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, born in Jesi, Italy, in 1710, was a highly influential composer of the Baroque era whose tragically short life (he died at 26) belied his significant contributions to music.
Pergolesi’s innovative style bridged the late Baroque and early Classical periods, and he was particularly celebrated for his contributions to opera and sacred music. His most famous work, the “Stabat Mater,” is a testament to his ability to blend expressive lyricism with the profound emotional depth of religious texts.
Pergolesi’s impact extended beyond his lifetime, influencing subsequent generations of composers and solidifying his position as a luminary in the transition from Baroque to Classical aesthetics. Pergolesi’s “Stabat Mater,” composed in the final year of his life, is a masterpiece that brilliantly captures the emotional essence of the medieval hymn. From a musicological standpoint, Pergolesi’s setting is notable for its lyrical vocal lines, rich harmonic textures, and innovative orchestration.
The work, scored for soprano and alto soloists, strings, and continuo, features a delicate balance between solo and ensemble sections. Pergolesi’s use of dissonance and chromaticism adds poignant emotional layers, creating a profound and affecting listening experience.
The “Stabat Mater” showcases Pergolesi’s mastery of dramatic expressiveness within the constraints of liturgical music, leaving an enduring legacy as one of the most celebrated settings of this sacred text in the Baroque repertoire
d that, try the O Clemens from one of his settings of the Salve Regina – some superb Baroque vocal ornamentation at the end, from 1:30!
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