Mary Finsterer

Later work

CHAMBER

A NOTE FROM THE COMPOSER

Stabat Mater Symphony ~ Movement I (2021) – orchestra.

Over the centuries, a vast array of music has emerged from sacred beliefs, each work carrying with it a powerful image. Among these, the Marian tradition has inspired composers from the 12th century to the present day, united by a singular and poignant moment: a mother bearing witness to the suffering of her child.

With Stabat Mater Symphony, my intention was to craft a profoundly reflective composition that explores the core themes of faith, suffering, and hope encapsulated in the Stabat Mater. The opening movement embraces a recurring musical motif that guides the listener through a transformative journey while maintaining thematic coherence. Reminiscent of the evolving prayers of the Rosary, the motif reappears with changing intention—each recurrence aiming to deepen the spiritual arc of the music.

Following a brief fanfare from the trumpets, a delicate motif emerges to capture our attention, setting the stage for the symphonic exploration that follows. As the movement unfolds, the motif evolves, revealing new dimensions while remaining true to its essence. Nearing its zenith, the motif reaches its fullest transformation.

This first movement ultimately became the foundation for my oratorio Stabat Mater for solo soprano, choir, organ, and orchestra—expanding its thematic material into a large-scale sacred work. Created during my 2023 tenure as Composer-in-Residence with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the oratorio was honoured with two Art Music Awards in 2024.

Dedicated to my mother, Monica O’Neill–Finsterer, and my uncle, Reverend Father John Wilfrid O’Neill.

The first movement of Stabat Mater Symphony was commissioned by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra through the 50 Fanfares Project, with funding from the NSW Government via Create NSW. The second and third movements remain to be commissioned.

Angelus (2015) – Trio for clarinet Bb, cello & piano

Angelus is inspired by the painting of the same name by French artist Jean‐François Millet. Completed in 1859, the work depicts a humble peasant couple, heads bowed in prayer, pausing amid the quiet dignity of their labour. In this stillness, the viewer is invited to glimpse a realm beyond the rhythms of daily toil — a moment suspended between earth and heaven.

My music seeks to capture this intimate yet transcendent scene, drawing upon the timeless cadences of Roman Catholic Gregorian chant, which for centuries has formed the spiritual and artistic foundation of the Angelus within the Western tradition. In the second section, the mood turns inward, awakening the inner spirit — a current both lively and profound — as though the prayer has taken root within, stirring the soul to a deeper, more vital communion.

REVIEW

Published May 29, 2020. Reviewed by Alex Raineri

https://musictrust.com.au/loudmouth/epiphany-ensemble-liaison/

“Inspired by the painting of the same name by Jean François Millet that portrays a simple peasant couple with their heads bowed in prayer, Mary Finsterer’s Angelus pays homage to this humble yet profound moment. For me, this is the most immediately striking of the works on this album. Hypnotically revolving around a ground pattern, the music weaves clarinet lines in and out of a piano/cello ostinato that references Gregorian chant traditions. In this music there is a gorgeous sense of catharsis. There is a constant sonic bed. No instrument is more important than one another, even though their roles are clear.”

 Lake Ice ~ Missed Tales I (2013) – Concerto for double bass and orchestra.

Like many parents, when my children were little, I engaged in the familiar ritual of reading them a bedtime story. In the search for tales that would enrich their imagination, I scoured traditional literature from Greek myths to the Brothers Grimm. One day I came across an old book of fairytales I had read as a child. Here I discovered a compendium of stories influenced by the classics, but with beautiful and mysterious reinterpretations. I recalled my own memories of the book: the exotic landscapes, the trials and dangers...

This led me to wonder how I could illustrate or weave this feeling of storytelling through music. A concerto is a great vehicle for such an idea. One instrument can take the role of the main character who travels on a quest through different terrains. Music itself also represents a journey for the listener. Every sound is introduced by way of gesture; melodic or harmonic material must find its own path, which may not appear to have clear logic or sense, but always has a resolution.

The double bass appealed to me for such a work, as the sound of the instrument has always seemed to me like something from a faraway land. Seldom is it heard as a solo instrument leading an orchestra and rarely in the upper register. Its typical role is to do the heavy lifting for the ensemble. Lake Ice is a response to this. It searches for ways to bring the double bass to the fore and highlights the many strange and beautiful sonorities it can produce.

Lake Ice sits at the apex of a series of musical pieces I’ve created called Missed Tales, based on the conceit that an anonymous collection of stories has been found after thousands of years in the recesses of a cave in Northern Europe. It explores ideas I have been developing from research into medieval music. My aim has been to find ways of re-thinking harmonic progressions through voice–leading. Using the simple triad as my starting point, I have used 20th-century methods of analysis and generative processes to build harmonic progressions that produce unanticipated or unusual outcomes. In doing so, I hope to create harmonies that not only tell a story, but also challenge expectations.

Lake Ice is commissioned by and composed for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and principle double bass player, Kees Boersma.  I dedicate this work to my children, Eve & Wil Golja.