Stabat Mater
SIR,—I'm" interested to read that Rossini's Stahel! Mater has got a riveting grip on you ('Spectator's Notebook,' April 8), but horrified that the recording you've gone and bought is Schippers with Tito del Bianco ,howling 'cuius animam' in a most barbaric and insensitive manner. This, as you rightly remark, is a glorious aria, and is available sung by a den* tenor. Alston Dermota, on a disc costing 10s., properly conducted and accompanied with marvel- lous inioists including Paul Schoefller as bass. It is a 'Saga' record and widely available. I have enormous admiration for Schippers as a conductor, but must record that with this work he flops rather abominably. The Saga record is, admittedly. Austrian and not too well recorded, but as music beats Schippers sideways. I lame, too, that having discovered the Stahat Mater, you might ferret out the Petite Messe solennelle. Rossini's masterwork in non-secular music (though as you said. Rossini's effusions towards the deity are dispatched in the most worldly language and sentiment) and savour it even more keenly than the smaller work. Its proper version is for soloists. chorus, and two pianos, which is dead right. Don't settle for an orchestrated version. And if you go for 'cuius animam.' you will certainly want to know `Domine Deus' from the mass, also a gutsy tenor solo.
183 City Road, Cardiff
M. B. THOMPSON
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