Your Favorite Rossini Stabat Mater?

Started by Anne, November 17, 2007, 01:00:28 PM

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Anne

I'm listening to a very nice Naxos rendition with Pier Giorgio Morandi conducting the Hungarian State Opera Chorus and Orchestra.  Singers are Patrizia Pace, Gloria Scalchi, Antonio Siragusa, Carlo Colombara.

It sounds very good but I've never paid attention to a Rossini Stabat Mater before.  The liner notes say it corresponds to the Requiem for Verdi.  Has anyone heard other performances they'd like to recommend?  The "Cujus animam gementem" was sung by Pavarotti on one of his single recordings - very beautiful.

Here is a section of the liner notes:

It is written for full orchestra and four soloists and chorus and divided into ten sections.  Operatic and highly melodic in style, it ranges from an impressively grand opening through the popular tenor aria "Cujus Animam" to the two remarkable unaccompanied choral passages that impressed Wagner so much.  The serious nature of the piece is confirmed by the use of a big double fugue as conclusion.

Certainly more forward to Verdi than back to Bach, this is one of Rossini's finest and most attractive works.  The jokes of "The Barber..." may not be there, nor the patriotic words of William Tell, but the work shows Rossini was still able, after his self-styled retirement, to create another new masterpiece. 

val

I have the version conducted by Kertesz, with remarkable soloists: Lorengar, Minton, Pavarotti, Sotin. To me it is good enough since I am not an enthusiast of this work.

Anne

Quote from: val on November 19, 2007, 01:09:57 AM
I have the version conducted by Kertesz, with remarkable soloists: Lorengar, Minton, Pavarotti, Sotin. To me it is good enough since I am not an enthusiast of this work.

Thanks, Val.  I appreciate your comments.

Lobby

I have the following versions, all of which are very good:

Katia Ricciarelli, Lucia Valentini-Terrani, Dalmacio Gonzales, Ruggero Raimondi, Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus / Carlo Maria Giulini.

Orgonasova, Bartoli, Gimenez, Scandiuzzi, Konzertvereinigung Wiener, Staatsopernchor, Wiener Philharmoniker / Myung-Whun Chung

There is also a recording by Muti with the Academy of Santa Cecilia, albeit with less starry soloists and with a rather reverberant recording, which is available at mid-price.

The most recommendable of these is probably the Chung recording above.

In think it is an underrated work. Too often it is thoughtlessly criticised as being "too operatic", but Rossini knew what he was doing and in a good performance the power of the music and the sincerity of his convictions does come across.

Antonio Pappano gave a superb performance of it at this year's proms with the Academy of Santa Cecilia.  The first half of the concert was Berio's Sinfonia, which was quite a contrast, but they actually worked very well together.  As the reviews put it:

"A sensational account of Rossini's too often cheapened masterwork, Stabat Mater. It was to Antonio Pappano's credit that we were reminded of just how many bad performances this piece receives. Just listening to the emotional and dynamic range of his chorus in the a cappella number with bass soloist (Ildar Abdrazakov), "Eja, mater, fons amoris", was to know that the difference, the soul of the piece, is all in the stylistic nuancing."

Jon

Anne

Jon:
". . . the soul of the piece, is all in the stylistic nuancing."

I agree with those sentiments.  Thanks for replying.  I will save your recommendations.  People saying Verdi's Requiem is too operatic has not hurt its popularity.  Either I just missed it, or the popularity of Rossini's Stabat Mater is much less.  One would never know it was written by the same person who wrote "The Barber of Seville."  It is truly a beautiful piece of music and I'm glad I found it.


Tsaraslondon

Quote from: Lobby on November 20, 2007, 07:44:12 AM

There is also a recording by Muti with the Academy of Santa Cecilia, albeit with less starry soloists and with a rather reverberant recording, which is available at mid-price.

Jon

Apart from Agnes Baltsa, who was quite a star at the time of the recording, and is undoubtedly the best of the soloists.
\"A beautiful voice is not enough.\" Maria Callas

Don

Quote from: Lobby on November 20, 2007, 07:44:12 AM
There is also a recording by Muti with the Academy of Santa Cecilia, albeit with less starry soloists and with a rather reverberant recording, which is available at mid-price.

Jon

The Muti/Stabat Mater is coupled with the Petite Messe solennelle conducted by Cleobury - 2cds at super budget price.

Anne

Quote from: Don on November 20, 2007, 01:28:11 PM
The Muti/Stabat Mater is coupled with the Petite Messe solennelle conducted by Cleobury - 2cds at super budget price.

Thanks, Don.  My next music was going to be the Petite Messe Solennelle as it was recommended as being good music along with the Stabat Mater.

Tsaraslondon, thanks for your comments.

Anne

Quote from: val on November 19, 2007, 01:09:57 AM
I have the version conducted by Kertesz, with remarkable soloists: Lorengar, Minton, Pavarotti, Sotin. To me it is good enough since I am not an enthusiast of this work.

By good luck I found the recording you mentioned in my Cd's last night.  It also has the Petite Solonnelle.  Based on this recording I don't blame you for not liking the work and also not liking the Stabat Mater.  In the Messe the microphone placement is too close to the piano.  The singers sound uncertain.  IMO it is a mess.  I don't have another recording to compare with it.

The Stabat Mater is a different story.  I have the Naxos and it is wonderful.  You'd hardly know they were the same work.  Very good.

knight66

It certainly is a dramatic piece and Rossini makes the chorus work hard. Some of the music sounds somewhat jaunty for a Requiem, but it is all vintage Rossini and the piece can produce a special occasion. The version I have is Muti's and I enjoy it sufficiently that I don't feel I need another. I was in chorus for both Muti and Chailly. Should a performance of the latter surface, it would be worth investigating. Both conductors managed to balance energy, drama, lyricism and each accommodates the voice exceptionally well.

There is an unaccompanied stretch that can be sung by either the chorus or soloists, we rehearsed it each time, but I guess to allow the soloists maximum exposure, each conductor allotted it to the soloists. So we never got to sing it in performance. It was a dangerous movement as it was easy to go flat; uncomfortably noticeable once the orchestra is reintroduced. So another reason for the decision may have been to have the professionals work for their money and not risk a chorus sinking in pitch.

Mike
DavidW: Yeah Mike doesn't get angry, he gets even.
I wasted time: and time wasted me.

calbo

I have no hésitations :





Two exceptionals casts with two excellents orchestras

Sean

I know the piece from a Pavarotti recording (is there one with Giulini?)- his gusto and high notes in his opening solo after the first section is really something and puts a smile on your face: rib-nudging humour in sacred music as never before. Slight parallels here with the brazen youthfulness of the Schubert masses esp 4-5...?