Concert with Cantiamo: "Rossini - Stabat Mater"

Once again, the Kassel Music Days in cooperation with the Staatstheater Kassel are bringing together various musical forces: following last year's successful collaboration with Cantiamo, Andreas Cessak will now prepare numerous young singers from the University of Kassel choir for the performance under the direction of General Music Director Francesco Angelico. The four vocal soloists have attracted attention in recent years with numerous performances at international opera houses.

Gioachino Rossini: His operas are world-famous and have enchanted and amused audiences ever since they were written. Gioachino Rossini's comic operas in particular, such as Il barbiere di Siviglia, La Cenerentola and Il turco in Italia , have a regular place in the repertoire. The composer, who was already extremely successful and a fast writer during his lifetime, wrote only a few sacred works. His Stabat Mater clearly reveals the opera composer: Virtuoso arias, gripping ensembles and poignant choruses characterize Rossini's setting of Mary's painful experiences in the face of her crucified son. The premiere took place - almost inconceivably - not in a church, but at the Théâtre Italien in Paris in 1842 and was euphorically acclaimed. Several numbers had to be repeated. Fourteen more sold-out performances followed. In Germany, the operatic nature of the work was criticized, with only Heinrich Heine praising Rossini's "eternal fidelity, his indestructible gentleness".