'The sorrowful mother' traditional Easter concert

'Stabat Mater' is a thirteenth century hymn to Mary and to her suffering as Christ's mother during the crucifixion.

The first line, "Stabat mater dolorosa", means "the sorrowful mother was standing".

It shares something in common with Mallorca's 'Sibil·la', Song of the Sybil, in that it was suppressed by the Council of Trent and the Counter-Reformation of the sixteenth century, but it was restored in 1727.

Nine years later, Italian Giovanni Battista Pergolesi composed his Stabat Mater, considered to be one of the eighteenth century's most influential works of holy music.

In 1767, Joseph Haydn amended Pergolesi's work. He believed that the Italian's composition hadn't been serious enough. The first performance is believed to have been in Vienna for Easter 1768 with Haydn himself conducting from the harpsichord.

A traditional work for Easter, therefore (whichever the version), it has also become something of a Palma tradition. (Note that details of the performers have yet to be released.)