The emotion-laden text of the Stabat mater has been an inspiration to many composers from the Renaissance onwards and has been set to music in...

The emotion-laden text of the Stabat mater has been an inspiration to many composers from the Renaissance onwards and has been set to music in every possible style. Luigi Boccherini, a virtuoso cellist and unquestioned master of chamber music, composed his own setting with a great respect for the text’s character. The quintet that accompanies the solo soprano has the same qualities of balance and homogeneity common to the best chamber works of the end of the Classical period, whilst the blend between voices and instruments is perfect. Boccherini’s profound respect for the text enables him to identify the exact musical character of each and every verse. Born in Belgium, Sophie Karthäuser completed her studies with Noelle Barker at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She is one of the world’s finest interpreters of Mozart and has been called a born “Mozartian,” and brings that same clarity of interpretation and flair to the work presented on this release.