A superstar on the rise, Jessica Lang, formerly a member of Twyla Tharp’s company, has created one of the most extraordinary experiences an opera-goer or dance lover is likely to see. Her production of Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s 1736 Stabat Mater (There Stands the Mother) springs from a 13th-century Latin poem. Sung here by countertenor and soprano, this evening-length work expresses the words of an observer of the Virgin Mary’s suffering and grief at the crucifixion of Jesus. Hauntingly beautiful, the staging becomes a constantly shifting meditation on the meaning of yearning and loss. Lang effortlessly blends voices and movement into a seamless performance piece of restrained beauty and power.
“In Lang’s choreography, less is more, and movement evolved naturally out of relationships.” —The Boston Globe
Made possible by the Robert M. and Ricki Conway Dance Series.
Originally published at conductorshare.nd.edu.