Soprano Rachel Harnisch

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CD review

Stabat Mater CD with Claudio Abbado

Stabat Mater - Pergolesi
CD-Review

Conductor: Claudio Abbado

'Deutsche Grammophon:
ARCHIV-Produktion 477 8077'

When Claudio Abbado is at the helm of a project, one automatically sits up and listens. Apparently, this is the first of three releases in which he wants to celebrate. Abbado uses his handpicked Bologna-based Mozart Orchestra .... Soprano Rachel Harnisch and contralto Sara Mingardo are not allied vibrato in the Stabat Mater, all of them bringing grace to their singing with tonal richness and expressive touches of verbal coloring. Abbado's own infallible sensitivity to this music is a compelling factor, imbuing the performances with freshness, energy and elegance.
Geoffrey Norris, Telegraph View London

Rachel Harnisch and Sara Mingardo are beautifully matched both in vocal prowess and musical intelligence and this is most notable in the imitative passages and, in particular, the famous opening movement with its angled use of dissonance. Harness sets the bar very high in 'Cuius animam gementem' with the tone-colors that she employs for the sword, 'pertransivit gladius,' literally cutting through the orchestra's texture.
Ed Breen, Musical Criticism London