Description Beautiful and highly dramatic, Antonín Dvorak's Stabat Mater was inspired both by the centuries-old image of the Virgin Mary's vigil at the foot of the cross and by the composer's grief at the deaths of his children. Based upon the traditional Latin text compiled by the thirteenth-century Franciscan Jacopone de Todi, this work is among Dvorak's most moving achievements. Its instant success won the composer lasting worldwide fame, and its melodic beauty and affecting sincerity keep it an enduring favourite among musicians and music lovers.
