Jakub Jan Ryba:
Stabat Mater

Jakub Jan Ryba (October 26, 1765 – April 8, 1815) is a Renaissance figure whose legacy has been awaiting its rebirth for more than two centuries. Ryba’s musical works are considered the peak of so-called cantorial music in the Czech lands, yet in many ways, they surpass it in quality and stand apart from it significantly. After a stimulating period of studies in Prague, Ryba's life became involuntarily tied to the rural environment, where he settled permanently as a teacher and regenschori in Rožmitál.

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Of the more than one hundred compositions that Ryba dedicated to Plzeň, his Latin oratorio Stabat Mater from 1805 stands out. This is considered one of the finest and perhaps the most serious work in his repertoire. The piece, distinguished by superb orchestration, was written for the accomplished Plzeň choir, with excellent singers and musicians, whose high level of interpretation Ryba had anticipated. According to Ryba’s own words, it was composed in six weeks, during a time when he was "struggling with his usual ailment." Although we do not know the exact nature of Ryba's illness, which was likely psychological, we can assume that his altered mental state allowed him to reach the very limits of his compositional abilities. It remains a paradox that this monumental sacred work has yet to be performed more frequently. Its sheet music was not published until 2015, and a year later, this first publicly available recording was made.