Pietà

The Pietà. Can a more iconic, more universal image be imagined than that of a mother, protective and loving bent over the dead child in her arms? Music from the Renaissance and the Baroque combines seamlessly with contemporary works, spinning one common thread across the centuries: how, in the human quest for connection with the divine, Mary - the primordial mother - as the ultimate saviour becomes the symbol of unconditional love.

The Pietà, a classic image from Christian art, shows the Virgin Mary in a sober setting with no distractions, with her arms around an adult Jesus on her lap: on the dead body, the wounds of his crucifixion are still fresh, the head hangs back lifelessly. A raw and intense image, but it does not only represent grief and loss. It also reminds us of a mother's primal love for her child, of the strength and redemption hidden within.

Slovak Vladimir Godar's quiet, slow and almost sacred music effortlessly bridges the gap between the polyphony of Giaches de Wert, Vivaldi's sparkling Stabat Mater and the deeply faith-inspired compositions of contemporary masters such as Arvo Pärt and James MacMillan. The ultimate drama of a mother losing her child takes on deeper meaning in all this music - the bitter sadness comes hand in hand with hope for acceptance and the experience of absolute love.

Flagey, Vlaams Radiokoor