Search - Gioachino Rossini, Riccardo Muti, Stephen Cleobury :: Rossini: Stabat Mater/Petite Messe Solennelle

Stabat Mater: a operatic work in oratorio-style version:

09/06/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have just listened to the Stabat Mater by Muti (in the Red-Line series by EMI). This is a very good performance, ,full of passion, dinamic contrast, with ideal tempos and a fine team of soloists supported by expressive chorus and orchestra. Muti's reading of the work is moving (just listen, for example, in the last number, to the crescendo which directly leads to the repeat of the opening motif of the work)and reflects what is a heartened, "hot" (if we can tell it) work, just in the style of the Verdi's Requiem. I've not listened to many Rossini's operas, but I'd say the Stabat Mater is an operatic work. The approach of Muti is,however, near oratorio: there is little vibrato in the chorus and, specially, the wonderful soloist team, that gladly blends with the chorus and orchestra.Malfitano is the best, with a blessing tone of voice. The tenor is very expressive and never tends to shout(in the secod number). Baltsa achieves a intense moment in her aria, and the bass is right, specially in the number with chorus alone. The only disadvantage of the interpretation is that is very "traditional": full of homogeneous, velvet-like sound, with little differentiation between strings and winds (e.g. the style Karl Richter uses in for example Saint John Passion). Although I think this Stabat Mater should benefit by the "original" movement (just as it happened to the Pergolesi's Stabat Mater)this recording is a very good oportunity,in particular with the low-price RED LINE SERIES."