Album review: René Jacobs, Akademie Für Alte Musik Berlin Pergolesi: Septem Verba a Christo (Harmonia Mundi)

 

Andy Gill
Friday 22 March 2013 16:00 EDT
Comments
René Jacobs, Akademie Für Alte Musik Berlin Pergolesi: Septem Verba a Christo (Harmonia Mundi)
René Jacobs, Akademie Für Alte Musik Berlin Pergolesi: Septem Verba a Christo (Harmonia Mundi)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Predating Haydn's work on a similar theme, Pergolesi's cycle of seven brief cantatas of two arias apiece represents Christ's meditations on the cross, usually sung by bass, and the responses of the “Anima” or faithful soul, sung in a higher register.

Under René Jacobs, the Akademie Für Alte Musik Berlin skilfully realises the cycle's coded instrumental balance, particularly in the first and seventh cantatas. It's a work delicately balanced between sombre reflection and devotional gusto, which is sometimes jeopardised by the excessive use of da capo rendering some parts overly repetitive, compounding ornamental repetition of individual words with unprofitable reprises of entire passages.

Download: Verbum 1; Verbum 2; Verbum 7

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in