Les Talens Lyriques
Marie Lys, soprano
Teresa Iervolino, mezzosoprano
Christophe Rousset, conductor

PROGRAM:

Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710–1736)

Stabat mater

Leonardo Leo (1694–1744)

Salve Regina

G.B. Ferrandini (1710–1791)

Il pianto di Maria

Beautiful Baroque music with world-leading French orchestra

It is a great pleasure to welcome back the world-renowned French early music ensemble Les Talens Lyriques and conductor Christophe Rousset. They close the Church Music Festival with Giovanni B. Pergolesi's immortal masterpiece Stabat Mater, and thus conclude this year's main themes: Stabat Mater and the role of women in the church. Stabat Mater is written for two vocal soloists (soprano and alto), strings and basso continuo, and is composed in the Neapolitan opera style. Pergolesi died of tuberculosis at the age of 26, and completed Stabat Mater just hours before he took his last breath in a Franciscan monastery in the town of Pozzuoli. After his death, Pergolesi was elevated to star status, and Stabat Mater marched triumphantly across Europe. Even J. S. Bach was impressed by Pergolesi's masterpiece and used the music in the cantata Tilge, Höchster, meine Sünden, BWV 1083. Unlike church musical works from the same period, Stabat Mater is more lyrical in character, with melodic elegance and minimal counterpoint, and drew much of its musical inspiration from Italian opera music. The work was criticised for being too light-footed and unworthy of the church music genre. Later audiences, on the other hand, have embraced Pergolesi's masterpiece, and it is still one of the most frequently performed Stabat Mater works. The concert also includes Salve Regina by the Neapolitan Baroque composer Leonardo Leo and Il pianto di Maria by G. B. Ferrandini/G. F. Handel. The soloists at the concert are the two young talents Marie Lys and Teresa Iervolino.