Stabat Mater
SIR,-1 was interested to see that Mr M. B. Thompson writes to support the Saga recording of Rossini's Stabat Mater. Unfortunately, this seems to have slipped through the hands of reviewers. I have never seen a notice of it. Judging from the sound and the names of the artists, it can hardly be of recent date. I agree with Mr Thompson about Anton Dermota's 'Cujus animam,' but the balance of the recording and a good deal of the singing could be questioned. He might look for Peter Dawson's 'Pro peccatis'• and Florence Austral's 'Inflammatus' (now re-issued) to realise the thrill of this music.
As for the Petite Messe solennelle, this was orches- trated, in the composer's own words, by 'le singe de Pesaro? There used to be a recording of the original version for two pianos and harmonium on HMV ALP 1278/9, which is very fine. I give the numbers in case anybody interested is lucky with second-hand dealers.
ROGER WIMBUSH 98 Kingston Road, Teddington, Middlesex
Previous page
