The Stabat Mater dates back to the 13th century and details Mary’s pain at the Crucifiction. One of the absolute hardest Christian hymns, this arrangement was composed while Pergolesi was dying of tuberculosis in the 1730s.
‘Fac ut portem Christi mortem,
passiónis fac consórtem,
et plagas recólere.’ (Grant that I might bear the death of Christ,
Make [me] kindred in the passion,
and contemplate the wounds.)
Just cannot recommend it enough ffo dark and disturbing hymns and the baroque. Still working through all the available recordings but favs currently are the 1985 LSO and the 2013 I Barocchisti. Will come back and update with definitive ranking xx