In-person
The Stonewall Chorale, the nation’s first LGBTQIA+ choir now in its 49th season, presents two works composed at the height of the Classical era in its spring concert, Remembrance, on Saturday, March 21, 7:30 pm and Sunday, March 22, 4:00 pm, Holy Apostles Church, Chelsea. Performed by the nearly 70-member mixed voice ensemble and full orchestra, the program presents Mozart’s monumental Requiem in D minor (1791)—one of the most dramatic and deeply moving works in the choral canon.
In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Requiem is paired with the exuberant Dixit Dominus (1774) by Marianna Martines, a trailblazer of the era. More than 250 years ago, Martines broke the glass ceiling in the male-dominated classical music world as the first woman elected into the venerated Bologna Academy of Music in its 100 year history, paving the way for a wave of women who followed. Stonewall is the first LGBTQIA+ choir to perform Dixit Dominus, which has been presented only once before in New York City.
“The Requiem is one of the most emotionally charged works ever written,” said Artistic Director Cynthia Powell. “Mozart draws us into profound reflection, while Martines’ radiant Dixit Dominus restores a brilliant voice too long overlooked. As the nation’s first LGBTQIA+ choir, we understand the power of being seen and heard, and this program allows us to honor both loss and resilience in one unforgettable program.”
From the thunder of the “Dies Irae” to the aching beauty of the “Lacrimosa,” Mozart’s Requiem invites reflection, remembrance, and renewal. Legend and mystery swirl around the Requiem—notably that Mozart was so convinced of his own imminent death that he commented, “They have ordered a requiem; it is for myself I am writing this.” In fact, Mozart began composing the Requiem in October 1791, and died just two months later, leaving it unfinished. The enduring musical and emotional relevance of the work has made it an international concert hall staple for centuries, and frequent go-to in pop culture as part of film/tv soundtracks and heavily sampled in pop music.
Dixit Dominus celebrates Martines who, in addition to her entry into the Bologna Academy, is credited as the first woman of record to compose a symphony. Martines’ success had an impact: Female composers now had the opportunity to work professionally, teach at music institutions and write larger scale orchestral works. Although her notoriety was obscured for centuries due to cultural and institutional biases, in recent decades Martines has regained her rightful place in Western classical music. Stonewall’s performance of Dixit Dominus continues the discussion about representation, identity, and power for women in the arts.
Pairing Mozart and Martines proves programmatic and personal connections. Both child prodigies and both elected to the Bologna Academy, they were also friends who supported and inspired one another. Martines held popular salons, attended by intellectuals and prominent musicians including Mozart who wrote 4-hand piano works that he and Martines performed there. Scholars believe that Mozart modeled a section of his Mass in C Major after Martines’ Mass in D major.
Tickets
Student/Senior: $30 | General: $40 | Premium: $65
For press passes, please contact news@stonewallchorale.org.
About The Stonewall Chorale
Based in New York City, The Stonewall Chorale is the first LGBTQ chorus in the nation, founded in 1977 in a Greenwich Village living room by “people who dig each other.” Over the span of its 48 seasons, the Chorale has become an important cultural presence in NYC performing arts, producing three concerts a year in venues that include Merkin Hall, Carnegie Hall, Church of the Ascension, Riverside Church, the Guggenheim Museum, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Alice Tully Hall, and Avery Fisher Hall. The Chorale recently sang at the Greene Space as a part of WQXR’s tribute to Pride 2024, for Nonprofit New York and for NationSwell at the Ford Foundation. Hailed by ClassicFM as one of the “15 of the best LGBTQ+ classical music ensembles around the world,” the Chorale’s repertoire ranges from great classical works to contemporary pieces by cutting-edge composers like Ricky Ian Gordon, Eric Whitacre, Chris De Blasio, Meredith Monk, Gerald Busby, and Tõnu Kõrvits.
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