Luigi Boccherini's Stabat mater of 1781 was forgotten by all but scholars for two centuries and more, but it has been undergoing a modest revival. His melodies are often extremely catchy, lacking only the feeling that death is the mother of beauty to make them the equal of Mozart's. The Stabat mater is a lovely work in a perhaps unique medium, soprano and string quintet, which would make it ideal for small-scale church and campus presentations. The intimacy of the medium is matched by the music, with the soprano beginning ...
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Luigi Boccherini's Stabat mater of 1781 was forgotten by all but scholars for two centuries and more, but it has been undergoing a modest revival. His melodies are often extremely catchy, lacking only the feeling that death is the mother of beauty to make them the equal of Mozart's. The Stabat mater is a lovely work in a perhaps unique medium, soprano and string quintet, which would make it ideal for small-scale church and campus presentations. The intimacy of the medium is matched by the music, with the soprano beginning quietly and mournfully (sample the first movement and you may find yourself wondering how this work could have been missing from the repertory for so long), building as it proceeds to more passionate expressions of grief. There are several other recent recordings to consider besides this American one from soprano Dominique Labelle and the Sarasa Ensemble. The chief advantage of this one is the presence of two other strong Boccherini chamber works, one of which, the String Quintet in F...
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