How do we begin to understand the sufferings of mothers who watch their offspring die by decree of some cruel doctrine? One way is through the 13th-century words of the Stabat Mater, poetry that still resonates in a 21st century mired in mindless dogma. Three new responses to the text, commissioned by John Studzinski’s Genesis Foundation, are sung here with faultless clarity by the Sixteen. Alissa Firsova writes a flowingly lyrical and contemplative motet, while Tõnu Kõrvits’s darkly dense and sinuous interpretation makes an intriguing counterweight to Matthew Martin’s virtuosic miniature Passion. Each is a significant contribution to the repertoire, sitting proudly alongside more familiar settings from Scarlatti and Casciolini, and all meticulously directed by Harry Christophers.
