Pergolesi - Stabat Mater
Pergolesi - Violin Concerto
Pergolesi - Salve Regina
Carmignola; Orchestra Mozart / Abbado
Archiv 477 8077

Release date August 2009

In preparation for next year’s “Pergolesi Year”, marking the 300th anniversary of Pergolesi’s birth, Claudio Abbado and Orchestra Mozart have issued the first of three celebratory recordings. The familiar Stabat Mater is coupled with the less well-known Violin Concerto in B-flat major and Salve Regina in C minor. These performances, recorded live in 2007, are notable for their energy. In an outstanding rendition of the Stabat Mater the opening movement sets the standard for the rest of the piece. The vocal soloists (soprano Rachel Harnisch and contralto Sara Mingardo) are well matched; their voices entwine together and capture the emotive qualities of this work. Abbado’s interpretation feels well considered; the pace is thoughtful, but not lazy. There are moments of magic throughout, particularly in the duets - just listen to Quis est homo, qui non fleret or the final Amen for example. The Violin Concerto, sandwiched between two sombre pieces, provides a refreshing contrast. It is more delicate than the Stabat Mater, lighter in both texture and mood. Giuliano Carmignola is the soloist and his performance is invigorating. The concerto also allows the orchestra the opportunity to shine – no more so than in the final Allegro movement. Pergolesi’s Salve Regina, with Julia Kleiter the soprano soloist, is more operatic in character than the Stabat Mater, yet the ambience created in the earlier work is still present. For me, one of the highlights of this disc is the combination of these works, which are so seldom heard together. I will be looking forward to the other two CDs in this anniversary project: Dixit Dominus (available spring 2010) and Messa di San Emidio (available summer 2010).

Reviewed by Ruth Squire