LEOŠ SVÁROVSKÝ, Conductor

JANA SIBERA, Soprano

VÁCLAVA KREJČÍ HOUSKOVÁ, Mezzo-soprano

PETER BERGER, Tenor

JOZEF BENCI, Bass

 

Antonín Dvořák: Stabat Mater, Op. 58, B. 71

 

In the 19th century, when infant and child mortality was more common than today, Dvořák’s decision to set Stabat Mater to music may or may not be directly connected to his personal tragedy. At the time of composing the work (1876–1877), the composer had to cope with the deaths of three of his own children. Yet for 21st-century listeners, Stabat Mater – a meditation on Christ's death seen through the eyes of his mother – is perhaps more powerful in the light of such tragedy than the religious imagery evoked by the medieval verses.

 

Although this Dvořák setting begins in a sombre tone, with occasional dramatic moments, it also brings comfort, the serenity of hope, anticipation and triumphant rapture, just as if it were a requiem. What also contributes to the impression of a mass is the composer’s masterful setting: the melodies, which, repeated like in a litany, carry the most expressive potential and also become the material for shaping the entire score.

 

Dvořák's Stabat Mater is a work of larger scale, which is why it is often called an oratorio, but it does not have the typical oratorio distribution of roles. Instead, the voices of the soloists and chorus alternate in a shared meditation on the image of the grieving mother, representing the universal voice of suffering.

 

The Lisinski Hall audience had the opportunity to listen to this Dvořák’s piece a little over three years ago, so it will be interesting to compare the previous performance with this year's. This time, some of the finest Czech musicians, Dvořák’s compatriots, will take the stage. Moreover, the Brno Philharmonic is an orchestra whose roots go back to Dvořák's time, and today it occupies a prominent place among the leading Czech ensembles. It frequently performs with the Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno, specialized in oratorios and cantatas. The performance will be conducted by Leoš Svárovský, one of the Brno Philharmonic’s permanent conductors, who regularly appears with orchestras across Europe, Asia, and the USA. This concert is part of their intensive international programme and appearances at prestigious world festivals.

 

Joining them will be excellent vocal artists, including soprano Jana Sibera, soloist of the Prague National Theatre and one of the most sought-after performers on the Czech opera and concert scene. In 2022, she won the prestigious Czech Thalia Award for her role of Massenet’s Manon. No less notable is mezzo-soprano Václava Krejčí Housková, currently a soloist at the National Theatre in Brno. Peter Berger, a renowned lirico spinto tenor, is also a singer with a far-reaching opera and concert career and recipient of numerous awards, as is Josef Benci, a prominent bass at the national theatres in Bratislava and Prague.