Pergolesi's Stabat Mater in Sweden, 1747-1809

Abstract

The first performances of G. B. Pergolesi’s Stabat mater in Sweden – among the earliest instances north of the Alps – were taken place in the late 1740s. The work was then adapted in a distinctively Lutheran way, replacing the Latin sequence by a Swedish Christological text as well as incorporating pronounced Lutheran hymns as integral parts of the work. Some movements were also arranged for four-part chorus. This adapted Stabat mater was then performed annually well into the nineteenth century. The article gives the details of the performances of Stabat mater in Sweden, with a focus on Stockholm, with its dominant musical position in the eighteenth century. In addition to printed text programs and newspaper advertisements, information drawn from the substantial amount of surviving music manuscripts has been considered. The article discusses Stabat mater’s remarkable long-lasting life in Sweden. Beside the more often-discussed context of the emerging public concert, it highlights the role of other institutions – such as the Freemasons – in maintaining the tradition of Stabat mater performances on Good Friday, despite growing opposition and demand for renewal.