The Stabat Mater is a medieval poem that describes the suffering of Jesus’s mother Mary as she stands at the foot of the cross. Pergolesi’s setting of the text is among the most haunting and gut wrenching compositions ever put to paper. At one point, the piece asks us if it’s possible to watch someone else suffer so deeply, and not somehow share in their sorrow. It stands as one of the purest musical depictions of empathy, and a powerful reminder that - no matter what pain we may feel in the moment - we’re never truly alone in our sadness. Performed by the String Orchestra of Brooklyn, conducted by Eli Spindel, the program will also feature Barber’s wrenching Adagio for Strings, and Arvo Pärt’s slow-burning Fratres, and if that all wasn’t enough - the entire performance will feature wall-to-ceiling film projections up and down the catacombs.