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Thread: Pergolesi: Stabat Mater Dolorosa (1736) for mandolin quartet

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    Registered User Martin Jonas's Avatar
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    Default Pergolesi: Stabat Mater Dolorosa (1736) for mandolin quartet

    Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736): Stabat Mater Dolorosa - Duetto

    This is the opening section of Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, probably the composer's most famous piece, and also his last -- he died almost immediately on completing it. It's originally a duet for two singers. My instrumental arrangement for mandolin quartet is based on an arrangement for string quartet by Mike Magatagan, available free from:

    https://musescore.com/mike_magatagan/scores/814576

    The big advantage of using Musescore arrangements is that you can download and edit the score in the free Musescore editor.

    In this case, the original key is F Minor (four flats!). I have transposed this down by a semitone to E Minor, which is the equivalent of the convention to play Baroque music at A=415Hz and also makes it a whole lot easier to play on mandolin. Also, I have changed the clef for the viola and cello parts to octave trebel clef With these changes, the arrangement is surprisingly easy to play, and very effective.

    1890s Umberto Ceccherini mandolin
    1915 Luigi Embergher mandolin
    Mid-Missouri M-0W octave mandolin/mandola
    Suzuki MC-815 mandocello



    There are already two excellent mandolin renditions on Youtube: the Melis Mandolin Quartet play it with a similar line-up (guitar rather than mandocello) and similar arrangement to mine (link) while the San Francisco Mandolin Orchestra have performed it with two singers (link).

    Martin

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    Default Re: Pergolesi: Stabat Mater Dolorosa (1736) for mandolin quartet

    Sounds indeed very nice, Martin!
    And thanks for the link to the Melis Mandolin Quartett.
    I didn't know them and they have an interesting repertoire.

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    Registered User Martin Jonas's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pergolesi: Stabat Mater Dolorosa (1736) for mandolin quartet

    Thanks, CC! It's a very enjoyable piece to play, and not particularly difficult technically -- it's all in the expressiveness, not the notes. By coincidence, I heard a new recording of this piece on BBC Radio 3 this morning on the way to work, arranged for horn quartet. Other than the different tonality of the horns, the arrangement sounded distinctly similar to the one I have played over the weekend so I was happily humming along.

    I now attach a PDF of the score and parts for Mike Magatagan's string quartet arrangement, with the changes I have made: transposed from F minor (four flats) to E minor (one sharp) and with the viola and cello parts both written in octave treble clef rather than alto and bass clefs. I trust Mike wouldn't mind me posting this here -- his original arrangement is available for free download from Musescore at the link above.

    I would think in this form, the arrangement is eminently suitable for a concert performance by any reasonably proficient amateur mandolin quartet. The cello part can be played on guitar with only one note change: the low D in bar 19 is below the range of the guitar and needs to be lifted by an octave. The mandola part can be played on either CGDA or GDAE mandola.

    Martin
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 814576-Stabat_Mater_Dolorosa_for_String_Quartet_-Score_and_Parts.pdf  

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    Registered User Louise NM's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pergolesi: Stabat Mater Dolorosa (1736) for mandolin quartet

    This is lovely. Listening to it played on mandolins, tremolo gives the suspensions at about 1:00 and 2:30 an extra tension you don't get with voice. It's fascinating how much difference instrumentation can make.

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