The program interprets the Stabat Mater text with a contemporary, human, and psychological approach, focusing on the universal pain of a parent losing a child, a theme relevant to Dvořák who lost three of his own children.
Interpretation
For this recording, Simon-Pierre Bestion 'augmented' Scarlatti's Stabat Mater by adding string parts and 'diminished' Dvořák's orchestral version to strings and piano, creating a common sound world.
Compositional Technique
The two Stabat Mater settings by Scarlatti and Dvořák are linked by their identical keys, considering the Baroque A was tuned at 415Hz.
Album & Artwork
The album concept was inspired by a book on the reincarnation of famous figures, leading to the idea of combining two Stabat Mater settings.
Recording & Production
Simon-Pierre Bestion, the director, views his role as an interpreter as translating music for contemporary audiences, creating a bridge between past and present musical experiences.
Interpretation
The album includes Gregorian plainchant at its center to further unify the two works, representing the medieval imagination that inspired both composers.
Interpretation
Simon-Pierre Bestion, the director, arranger, and transcriber for this album, aims to create a subtle, aesthetic, and metaphysical link between the two Stabat Mater settings by Domenico Scarlatti and Antonín Dvořák.
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