Aedes and the Orchestre de la Garde Républicaine perform Francis Poulenc’s Stabat Mater, alongside a major work from the same composer’s a cappella choral repertoire, the Litanies à la Vierge noire.

Francis Poulenc’s Stabat Mater, composed in 1950 after a period of profound doubt and personal tragedy, stands as one of the pinnacles of twentieth-century sacred music. Inspired by his first visit to Rocamadour in 1936, following which he composed Litanies à la Vierge Noire, Poulenc blends mystical fervor with poignant sorrow, giving this liturgical text a profoundly human dimension.

The Stabat Mater is distinguished by an intimate dialogue between choir and orchestra, with each movement exploring a different facet of pain and hope. The apparent clarity of its language conceals a striking emotional complexity, oscillating between contemplation and exaltation. In Rocamadour, where he had found a spiritual refuge, Poulenc infuses this work with a depth that transcends epochs.

Hector Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique, op. 14

Francis Poulenc Litanies à la Vierge Noire
Francis Poulenc Stabat Mater

Orchestre de la Garde républicaine
Bastien Stil direction

Ensemble Aedes choir
Mathieu Romano choir direction

Vannina Santoni soprano solo