Sara Varone

Stabat Mater
$41.99
And don't leave yourself waiting any longer before you become enamored of the 18th C chain of settings of the Stabat Mater, among the most sublime masterpieces of sacred vocal music. Vivaldi, Pergolesi, both Scarlattis, Haydn, Boccherini, and Rossini all wrote superb Stabat Maters, and if you care to look, you'll find that I've reviewed many of them. The performance of Domenico Scarlatti's highly polyphonic Stabat by Rinaldo Alessandrini and Concerto Italiano, included in this set of five CDs, is easily my all-time favorite. I might recommend other specific performances for any one of the compositions in this box, but the edge would be very slight. This box is a tremendous bargain. In fact, I've just ordered it as a gift for my baby sister's 60th birthday, which should give you an idea of how fine I think it is.