Together with the Missa Cellensis, the Stabat Mater (1767) was one of the first sacred works that Haydn composed in his new position as Kapellmeister of the Esterházy court. The Virgin Mary’s vast range of emotions during the Crucifixion are reflected in Haydn’s music through various musical techniques, including word-painting and even subtle elements of characterisation. Performed in Vienna in 1768, the Stabat Mater became Haydn’s most popular sacred work and was circulated widely in his lifetime.
