Boccherini: Stabat Mater, Aria Accademica, Symphony No. 18 – Barbara Frittoli

Luigi Boccherini wrote his setting of the Stabat Mater in 1781, when Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s version had already conquered the audiences throughout Europe. Undeterred by the success of his compatriot, Boccherini created a fresh reading of the medieval Latin poetry of this touching Sequence. This recording features star singer Barbara Frittoli, who magnificently highlights the dramatic power of this solo work for soprano and strings. Her voice is fascinatingly surrounded by the mellow tone of the Virtuosi del Teatro alla Scala conducted by Mattia Rondelli. The intensity of the Mother’s grief is beautifully expressed by the solo voice and framed by the essential instrumentation of the strings. The album is completed with other works which contextualise the Stabat Mater, a work worth of greater recognition.