Goeyvaerts String Trio - Stabat Mater / Simeron (2014)

The Goeyvaerts String Trio employs just intonation for the Stabat mater, although equal temperament is the most commonly known and used. Pure intonation is an early form of tuning. Intervals are distributed unevenly but purely across the octave. Just intonation sounds calmer, and even a bit more sorrowful, to the contemporary listener. Throughout his Stabat mater, Arvo Pärt alternates beautiful triads with dissonances. The work s emotional quality is present no matter what intonation is used, but just intonation does give the work a specific voice. The Stabat mater is not an icon surrounded by jewels; it is an expression of suffering and solace. This performance of the Stabat mater reveals something that cannot be put into words, and this may explain its intense beauty.