Round-table discussion

Round-table discussion

« Stabat Mater : particular or universal pain ? »

In May 2025, Saint-Pierre Cathedral will open its doors to the Grand Théâtre de Genève and host performances of Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, directed by Romeo Castellucci and conducted by Barbara Hannigan. To mark the occasion, the Protestant parish of Saint-Pierre and the Grand Théâtre de Genève invite you to a round-table discussion on 17 April on the theme of ‘Stabat Mater: particular or universal pain’, in the foyer of the Grand Théâtre de Genève.

How does Mary's pain at the foot of the cross resonate with our own? What is so special about it? In his staging of the Stabat Mater, Romeo Castellucci has resolutely chosen to universalise and actualise this pain, inviting everyone, men and women alike, to identify with this mother mourning the destruction of what is most dear to her. In this way, Mary becomes a figure where the pain of yesterday and today, of here and elsewhere, is embodied and revealed. But how has Mary's pain been perceived and interpreted over the centuries? If the representation of the pain of a mother losing her child seems to symbolise the height of despair, doesn't that of Mary at the foot of the cross, inseparable from the resurrection, open up a path of hope in spite of everything?

Moderator: Matthias Wirz, RTS journalist
Participants: Michele Bacci, professor of medieval art history (University of Fribourg); Romeo Castellucci, stage director; Christophe Chalamet, professor of systematic theology (University of Geneva); Javier Moscoso, professor of the history and philosophy of science (Spanish National Research Council); James Webb, conceptual artist
Organisation: Clara Pons, dramaturge and Sandrine Landeau, pastor

Informations
6:30PM Doors open and aperitif
7PM start of the event
Ends around 9PM
Free admission
Foyer du Grand Théâtre de Genève