This versions of the Stabat Mater – the classic 13th century hymn in praise of Our Lady of Sorrows – put to music by baroque composer Giovanni Batista Pergolesi is one of his most enduring, beloved works – and also his last, composed in 1736 on his deathbed at the tender age of 26, as he endured the ravages of tuberculosis in his final days, which adds to the poignancy of the piece. He added a Salve Regina which, according to reports, he quite literally finished right before he breathed his last. One can definitely hear eternity in what he left behind in his brief span on earth. He did much with little, and we – alas – who do so little with much:
And his Salve Regina, the Hail Holy Queen: