Pergolesi : Septem verba a Christo. Jacobs.

   in Early Music Today (Jun, 2013)
Not so long ago, Pergolesi was known only for his ‘Stabat Mater’ and the buffa intermezzo ‘La serva padrona’. Now several of his operas have appeared on DVD to critical acclaim and recent research suggests the ‘Septem verba a Christo’, its origins long in dispute, is very likely to be another Pergolesi masterpiece. This ‘meditative, didactic oratorio’ (to quote Rene Jacobs) takes the form of a dialogue between Christ, on the cross, and Anima, the soul, their discourse conducted through a cycle of seven cantatas, each comprising a pair of arias. Pergolesi cleverly leavens the devotional solemnity with inventive variations of da capo form and a diverse palette that features trumpet, …