EMI Classics
2003
Scarlatti: Stabat Mater/Te Deum/Magnificat; Choir of Kings College, Cambridge
About This Album
Most listeners know Domenico Scarlatti as the composer of numerous witty, urbane, scintillating, and quite secular, in fact, harpsichord sonatas that have become part of the standard keyboard repertoire. But there is another, hidden dimension of Scarlatti's oeuvre: his sacred music written in the 1720s in Rome and Lisbon. This recording is a splendid introduction to Scarlatti's sacred music as it features several powerful works that fully represent the stylistic range of Scarlatti's church music. These performances by the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, under the direction of Stephen Cleobury introduce the listener, sometimes quite dramatically, to the richness, complexity, and religious authenticity of Scarlatti's sacred music. The Te Deum, for example, sung with refreshing, even exuberant energy, strikes the listener as a composition whose irresistible energy in no way clouds the composer's sincere religious sentiment. If the Te Deum radiates energy, Scarlatti's Stabat Mater, performed with thoughtfulness and appropriate restraint, leads the listener into the world of grief and sorrow. However, the truly radiant music, performed with much attention to Scarlatti's exquisite harmonic palette, leaves the listener in a state of profound contemplation. The other works performed on this disc -- the Miserere in E minor, the Magnificat, and the Laetatus sum -- may lack the spiritual depth of the Stabat Mater, but these are nevertheless superb religious works convincingly performed by the Choir of King's College. This impeccably crafted music is profound, intriguing, somewhat aloof, and even mysterious. Fortunately, thanks to this particular performance, a lesser-known aspect of Scarlatti's genius is accessible to listeners willing to explore the rich heritage of Baroque sacred music. ~ Zoran Minderovic, All Music Guide
Track List

Te Deum, Motet For Double Chorus & Organ In C Major
1.
2.
Stabat Mater, For Double Chorus & Continuo In C Minor
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Miserere, Motet For Double Chorus In E Minor
12.
Magnificat In D Minor, For Chorus
13.
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15.
Laetatus Sum, Motet For Soprano, Alto, Chorus & Organ
16.
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