Chorus Austin
  • Home
    • About
      • Artistic Director and Conductor Ryan Heller
      • Executive Director Esteban Alvarez
      • Symphonic Chorus
      • Chamber Ensemble
    • Contact Us
    • Our Supporters
  • Donate Today
  • Events Calendar
  • Get Involved
    • Work at Chorus Austin
    • Join our Mailing List
    • Become A Season Partner
    • Auditions
  • Composers Competition
    • Past Winners
  • Home
    • About
      • Artistic Director and Conductor Ryan Heller
      • Executive Director Esteban Alvarez
      • Symphonic Chorus
      • Chamber Ensemble
    • Contact Us
    • Our Supporters
  • Donate Today
  • Events Calendar
  • Get Involved
    • Work at Chorus Austin
    • Join our Mailing List
    • Become A Season Partner
    • Auditions
  • Composers Competition
    • Past Winners
P.O. Box 204030
​Austin, TX
78720-4030

512-719-3300
Picture
When and Where:
  • Saturday, April 21, 2018 at 7:30pm
    St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, 8134 Mesa Dr, Austin, TX
  • Sunday, April 22, 2018 at 3:00pm​
    ​St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, 8134 Mesa Dr, Austin, TX
Piece: Stabat Mater
Composer: F. J. Haydn
Date: 1767
Conductor: Ryan Heller​
Length: Approximately 70 min.
Performing Forces:
  • Soloists (SATB), Chorus, Orchestra

Program Notes

About Stabat Mater
The work is divided into 13 sections and is built around six choruses, six arias and one duet. Belonging to Haydn's "Sturm und Drang" period, half of the movements are in a minor mode (consistent with the grieving nature of the text) and Haydn makes great use of word painting. For example,the breaking up with rests of "dum e-mi-sit spiritum" in order to convey the last gasps of the dying Christ. In the final movement the chorus establishes the vision of "Paradise" in a bright G major, a fugue that becomes more and more florid until it encourages a burst of grateful coloratura from the soprano, before all soloists and chorus join in the declamation of "Amen."
 
Grief, despair, pain, fear, and hope are all captured by the masterful Haydn. The orchestra is used in partnership with the voices to bring the vivid text to life. Although the text is sacred, it is the universal themes of the human experience that Haydn illuminates, and that makes the piece accessible and powerful to this day. 
 
Chorus Austin will be joined by Soprano Janeene Williams, Mezzo Soprano Keely Rhodes, Tenor Steven Brennfleck, and Bass Austin Siebert under the baton of our Artistic Director, Ryan Heller.​
Picture
About the Composer
​Haydn (1732 – 1809) was born in Rohrau, Austria. He composed, among others, more than 100 symphonies, 84 string quartets, more than a dozen operas, 10 masses and four large oratorios. His Stabat Mater was praised by his contemporaries, for instance by the then famous composer Hasse. Haydn, who had sent it to Hasse in the hope that “this great and world-celebrated composer” (Haydn’s words) would rectify the weaker parts of the composition, was completely surprised that Hasse “honored the work by inexpressibly praise”. Even during Haydn's life it was published on a large scale and became his most well-known sacred work. 

Ryan's Recommended Recordings

Picture
Stuttgart Chamber Chorus
Picture
Picture
Picture
English Concert & Choir
Picture
Picture

Audio/Video Preview

Send us Feedback

Excellence - Connection - Inclusion
Chorus Austin is a 501(c)(3) Not for Profit Organization.
Chorus Austin is proud to be supported in part by:​© 2018 Chorus Austin
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
  • Home
    • About
      • Artistic Director and Conductor Ryan Heller
      • Executive Director Esteban Alvarez
      • Symphonic Chorus
      • Chamber Ensemble
    • Contact Us
    • Our Supporters
  • Donate Today
  • Events Calendar
  • Get Involved
    • Work at Chorus Austin
    • Join our Mailing List
    • Become A Season Partner
    • Auditions
  • Composers Competition
    • Past Winners