Dvorák, Antonín - Stabat Mater - Accentus

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"The idea was to conceive a spiritual meditation (as intended by Haydn when he composed the first version for orchestra), articulated and sung in this case, yet without the voice becoming the leading actor in the drama: the vocal line and the text were considered as a continuation of the purely musical idea. This standpoint by no means excludes expressiveness, especially as the texted version enriches the string phrasing, and the content of the literary text itself is remarkable for the appropriateness of the moods it creates. Our work with the orchestra took account of this new musical situation: the playing style became more rounded to provide a closer match for the voices; the phrasing was twinned with that of the singers. The whole interpretative approach was focused on allowing the work to express to the full its profundity and sobriety."
(Laurence Equilbey, conductor)