The ONly Stabat Mater i know really well is the one written by Dvorak.

His three children had died and in his grief he retreated to this work, it became the longest Stabat Mater in existence. It is a powerfully moving piece, quite depressing but eventually the night is lifted and he remains unshaken in his faith in god.

I have also listened to the Stabat Mater of Pergolesi.

Which other Stabat maters do you recommend? Penderecki? Poulenc?

You don't mention composers of the Renaissance? I think Palastrina should not be missed.

Those of Haydn and Rossini seem to be renowned bit I've never listened to them properly.

I dont mention them because I dont know them, but thank you for the information. Any others beside Palestrina?

Stabat Mater by Szymanowski. Karol Szymanowski. I can recommend it to you wholeheartly.

Thank you Aramis

I have a copy of this. My version is by Rattle/CBSO. I must say that it wasn't quite what I expected when I first heard it, and I'm not sure quite what to make of it. It sounds more like a piece of liturgy in the Russian Orthodox church rather than the kind of Marian sacred music I'm used to in the RC Church.

My favourite Stabat Mater is the one by Viivaldi, RV 621. My version of this is by the Ricercar Consort.

That's a great one, for sure. I might recommend the recording with the Europa Galante and David Daniels.

i like poulencs. the recording on harmonia mundi is good

I can highly recommend Rossini's Stabat Mater, especially the Richard Hickox recording on Chandos. Pergolesi's is also very fine indeed. Rinaldo Allessandrini has a magnificent recording of it on Naive.

I had sung 1 by Orbán György in Choir, which I think is also a nice piece.

Poulenc's Stabat mater is a joy (well I think so). It seems to me hopelessly joyful for such a subject. Having sung it several times, it is a great work to be immersed in. (Sometimes I find works I like to listen to aren't much fun to sing, and works I would never give the time of day to as a listener, I secretly rather enjoyed singing.)

Joseph Haydn's Stabat Mater is good enough for me. The mood of the entire work was set perfectly right.

The version I have is this one, by The English Concert/Trevor Pinnock:-