Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater is one of the most beautiful and poignant works in classical music. He wrote it in 1736, shortly before he died of tuberculosis at the age of 26. Pergolesi based it on a medieval poem about Mary’s intense grief over her crucified son Jesus. He managed to capture her tears, the pain, and the hope expressed in the poem in music in an unparalleled way. From the very first notes, the soprano, alto, and the musicians of the Kölner Akademie take you into a deeply moving work.

Salve Regina is another stunning example of Baroque music, in which Pergolesi manages to convey a great deal of emotion. The atmosphere in this prayer to Mary is calm, hopeful, and trusting. The soprano sings a flowing melody, while the strings provide soft, warm accompaniment, allowing the text to come through clearly.

Program

Domenico Gallo (1723-ca. 1768)
Sonata V for strings and b.c.

Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736)
Salve Regina for soprano, strings and b.c.
Ritorno (cantata for alto, strings and b.c.)

— pause—

Count Unico van Wassenaer (1692-1766)
Concerto Armonico II in B-flat for strings and b.c.

Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736)
Stabat Mater for soprano, alto, strings and b.c.