Customer Reviews

Stabat Mater Libera Me, Domine

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For anyone who subscribes to Fanfare, there is not much to add to the review of this 2CD release in
the Sep/Oct 2009 issue. It more or less says it all. To those without access to Fanfare, a brief summary
is that this is a decent recording of the Stabat Mater, but not up to standards of the competition. It takes
74:05, about 7 minutes longer than the Heltay recording on Decca. The sound is not especially good
considering the given recording date of March 1978. In fact, 2 movements, 6 (Vidit suum) and 7 (Eia,
Mater), when heard through headphones, have a monophonic sound to them, though there would not
be a mono tape as late as 1978. However, CD2 is another story. The Libera Me, Domine, though only
about 6:30, is a beautiful work from 1780s, and has been seldom recorded. The Symphony and Concerto
were recorded in 1964, yet sound much better than the Stabat Mater. In the 1960s, they were issued on
Everest's subsidiary Baroque Records LP label, and today they still hold up well as fine performances of
the 2 works, though lacking in repeats. As the Fanfare reviewer suggests, this release is worth getting for
the Libera Me alone, plus the Symphony 44 and the Concerto for Violin and Harpsichord in F are worthy
discmates. As CD2 is only 46:11, anyone with a CD recorder might add another 30 minutes of music to
make a fine CDR, then donate the release to one's favorite charity. As I recall that Baroque Records LP,
a little nostalgia plus the Libera Me (CD2) gets 5 stars from me, but the Stabat Mater (CD1) a grudging
3 stars.