Gioachino Rossini - Stabat Mater (Semyon Bychcov)

Gioacchino ROSSINI (1792-1868)

Stabat Mater

Carol Vaness (Soprano) 

Cecilia Bartoli (Mezzo-soprano) 

Francisco Araiza (Tenor)

Ferruccio Furlanetto (Bass)

Symphonie-Orchester & Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks

Semyon Bychkov

...The outstanding feature here are the singers. They are unanimously excellent, and often so much better than in other works on record that I had to pause again and again and look at the CD case to assure myself that they were, indeed, who I thought they were. The material requires them to step out of their operatic shoes, and it shows to their advantage. Carol Vaness shines, but Cecilia Bartoli, in her prime (the recording is from 1991), is perhaps the most impressive voice here, both vocally and because she projects a spiritual involvement beyond meticulous vocalization. As has been amply documented, she has a particular affinity for Rossini, and it is a pleasure to compare her approach in "Stabat Mater" to that of many humorous songs, such as "Regatta Veneziana." Admittedly, her loud intake of each breath is somewhat bothersome.

Francisco Araiza is similarly in his prime, and Ferruccio Furlanetto's voice is rich and honeyed. He does not hesitate or lose power as he hits the notes in the uppermost reaches of his register with fervor.

I'm sure that opinions vary on whether this is one of Rossini's masterworks or a bit of a hodge-podge unfit for sacred music. While the a cappella sections are airy and evocative, some parts are downright operatic, and perhaps Bychkov's reading of the score is as responsible for that as is Rossini; this is where being able to compare with other interpretations would come in handy. The "opera effect" is both an asset and a distraction: an asset because it transforms an essentially religious piece into something more universal and larger in scope, and thereby possibly precludes the monotony inherent in "church" works; a distraction because it brings a mundane echo to sacred music and disturbs the meditative peacefulness one expects from such music, who does not at all view it as monotonous.

But, regardless of your opinion, you owe it to yourself to hear this "Stabat Mater": the composition is intricate and many-layered, and deserves repeated hearing until it has been fully absorbed. For my part, I've found nothing but pleasure in it.