Pergolesi: Stabat Mater /Bonney * Scholl * Les Talens Lyriques * Rousset

Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (Artist), Christophe Rousset (Artist), Barbara Bonney (Artist), Andreas Scholl (Artist), Les Talens Lyriques (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 14, 1999)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Decca
• ASIN: B00001IVQN
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #82,720 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Certainly the somber beauty of Pergolesi's Stabat Mater for soprano, alto, and strings has a lot to do with its popularity. But it must be said that the story of the 26-year-old composer completing the work on his deathbed has always been too romantic for the public--or the music business--to resist. "The instant his death was known," wrote the famous 18th-century traveler Dr. Burney, "all Italy manifested an eager desire to hear and possess his productions." And so it's been ever since. In spite of the competition already on the market, it seems Decca just had to get its prize lyric soprano and hotshot young countertenor together to record the piece.

The result isn't bad as such: Barbara Bonney sings graciously and prettily, though with a sound better suited to Schumann or Strauss (for example, she lets her vibrato smudge the suspended dissonances that make the first movement so effective); Andreas Scholl gives a nicely judged, intelligent performance that would probably seem marvelous in another setting. But I can sense no spark at all: the whole recording feels as though it were made because Decca's marketing department thought it would be a good idea, not because the performers felt strongly about the music in any way. The two settings of the Salve Regina (one for each soloist; both share some material with the Stabat Mater) come off a bit better, but they aren't what you'd buy this disc for. Dedicated fans of Scholl and Bonney probably won't be (too) disappointed, but compared to the exemplary, elegant Gillian Fisher and Michael Chance or the thrilling, often surprising Concerto Italiano, this one is hard to recommend. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You won't be disappointed, February 19, 2000

By 

"hcf" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pergolesi: Stabat Mater /Bonney * Scholl * Les Talens Lyriques * Rousset (Audio CD)

I rarely disagree with Matthew Westphal, but this is one of those rare occasions where I must say that he's wrong. This recording is NOT likely to disappoint, whether or not you are a dedicated fan of Bonney and/or Scholl (I'm not). Perhaps this recording was not urgently needed - there are countless other versions of Pergolesi Stabat Mater in the catalogue. So it may well have been that Decca arranged for this recording mainly to cash in on its two brightest young stars (if you ask me, Scholl's Heroes recital was probably the result of the same kind of marketing ploy). But the result is, nevertheless, wonderful. The first aspect of this recording that immediately stands out is the exquisite blend of the two voices. Both voices are similar in tone and warmth; and both seem to be best suited to slow, contemplative music. Some of the faster passages may have benefited from more imagination (I dind't like track 4), but the slower passages are outright hypnotic. I particularly enjoyed tracks 9 and 12. Maybe, in the view of some people "hypnotic" will immediately translate into "undercharacterized," but I meant this epithet as a praise. There are moments in this performance that will simply stop you in your tracks. Scholl's voice is especially effective in the lower register - it amazes me how low he can go without switching out of falsetto. The singers' interpretation of the material is not inventive, but it is graceful and refined, in a way that will probably appeal to the majority of listeners. Hey, simplicity is not always bland! [e-mail]

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pergolesi: Stabat Mater, January 10, 2000

By 

Joukes, Philippe (Mechelen, Belgium) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pergolesi: Stabat Mater /Bonney * Scholl * Les Talens Lyriques * Rousset (Audio CD)

By far the best version published so far. Scholl and Bonney give rare depth and warmth to this lament and are masterly directed by Rousset. An absolute must in any classical collection. I now have 7 different versions and with all respect for previous editions, this one tops everything.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Decent "Stabat Mater", June 7, 2000

By 

James D. Boyd (Boulder, CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pergolesi: Stabat Mater /Bonney * Scholl * Les Talens Lyriques * Rousset (Audio CD)

The "Stabat Mater" is a marvelous work and if you are looking for a recording of it, you might consider this one because of the two Salva Regina's which accompany it on this recording. Mr. Rousset did an excellent job of programing by putting these works toghether.

For the Stabat Mater, I find it difficult to review interpretations of works I have studied carefully because I find I must fight the urge to critique differences of opinion (in tempi or ornamentation, say) rather than the execution of the decisions made.

There are a few movements in this recording that are more "spirited" than other interpretations, which takes away from the marvelous interplay between Mr. Scholl and Ms. Bonney. They really do sound very good together. I might have cast a soprano with a more bright sound to go with the brilliance of the Counter-tenor, but I nit-pick. I am heartened to see the resurgance of the counter-tenor in these early music performances.