Review by Simon Pierre Bestion – Stabat Mater

For him, the practice of historical performance is not an end in itself, says Simone Pierre Bestion. But he wanted to bring the musical universe from the past to the present. His experience can only be understood in an artistically intended track sequence or on CD: Bestion links settings of Stabat Mater created over 160 years and dispenses with two movements by Dvořák. A very distinctive musical sequence appears. Scarlatti parts receive a soft and therefore indefinite color. In contrast, the absence of an orchestra in Dvořák is almost alarmingly noticeable, although here its melodies sometimes sound evocatively simple. It's almost a risky endeavor for La Tempête because the result – of course at a highly professional level – feels like an emergency solution. Ultimately, Bestion cannot legitimize his idea through votes.

Mother Stabat
Works arranged by Dvořák & D. Scarlatti

Amelie Raison (soprano), Alain Quentin (alto), Edouard Monganel (tenor), Florent Martin (bass), La Tempette, Simone Pierre Bestion
Alpha 1054