Antonín Dvořák: Stabat Mater

To mark the anniversary of the Zürcher Oberland Choir Week, Roger Widmer has chosen to perform Antonín Dvořák’s ‘Stabat Mater’. This sacred cantata for soloists, choir and orchestra was first performed in Prague on 23 December 1880.The work is deeply moving, dramatic, yet also full of hope. “The late Romantic musical language resonates with us because it is so closely linked to emotion. Music gives us the opportunity to express and experience feelings. In this work, you can give free rein to your own emotions and let the music carry you away. The ‘Stabat Mater’ encompasses pain, grief, hope and joy. It is precisely this combination that makes the work so special to me,” says Roger Widmer, explaining his choice of piece.