Psalmodia vespertina; Stabat Mater

Agostino Steffani (1654-1728) is one of the most remarkable figures of the European Baroque period and was not only a composer, but also a priest and diplomat. He directed the Hanover Opera and influenced some of the most important musicians of his time with his work. This recording combines his Psalmodia vespertina (1674) with the posthumously published Stabat Mater. The psalms are scored for double choir and organ, but are presented here in a richer instrumentation with strings and winds as well as alternations between soli and tutti.