Arte Musica's Sublime Rendition of Rossini's Stabat Mater

In the Catholic tradition the month of October is the month of the Rosary
and protection from the Mother of God.
And so music lovers in Southern California were blessed with a special three night mini concert tour of an all too rarely performed piece, the Stabat Mater by Rossini for Choir and Orchestra performed by the Arte Musica Choir under the baton of Maestro Ermanno Zotti.
The Italian composer Giachino Rossini, popularly known for writing the opera The Barber of Seville and the William Tell Overture, wrote this sacred choral piece towards the end of his life.
Four soloists, a concert choir and full orchestra are required for the piece, which is why it is not often one receives the privilege of experiencing it.
On October 4th, in the grandiose St. Monica Church in Santa Monica, the audience fortunate enough to be present were flooded with the sublime and rich sounds performed by the Arte Musica ensemble.
The text of the Stabat Mater is one of deep pathos, yet Rossini is a composer who expresses grief in more than just the minor realms.
In fact, seven of the nine movements are in major keys
even with the lamenting words such as "Through her weeping soul....how sad and afflicted".
Immediately in the introduction of the Stabat Mater the drama of Rossini's writing is present.
Precisely conducted by Maestro Zotti, with passion but not pretense,
the orchestra's sound was pristine in the most holy sense of the word.
A pick up ensemble of some of LA's finest Local 47 instrumentalists (i even spotted local legend cellist  Armen Ksajikian and French hornist John Mason), the orchestra only had one rehearsal to create the perfection that they did.
In the second movement, Cujis Animam, the levity of Rossini is felt. An aria for tenor and orchestra, it was performed by Fabio Buonocore, a true Rossini tenor with the proper timbre for a Duke of Mantua.
The 3rd movement, Quis Est Homo, features the two sopranos, Diana Trivellato (first soprano) and Alessandra Caruccio ("second" soprano or mezzo) singing about compassion for the pious Mother.
During their a cappella runs, the stoic sopranos were so blended their sound
created that delicious buzz of overtones one feels physically vibrating in the inner ear canal.
For the 4th and 5th movement bass-baritone E. Scott Levin's smooth, buttery voice was featured with such a musical, artful interpretation.
The sublime penultimate movement featured the choir sans soloists or orchestra and revealed that this is no "community" or amateur choir. Though Arte Musica is billed as a group of semi or non professionals,
their sound is professional in every sense of the word. The subtlety and grace the Maestro is able to conjure from them gives the LA Master Chorale a run for their money.
And the finale Amen, had all the bombastic glory desired in a finale. So much so that after it ended the audience cheered instantly in a standing ovation
and the ensemble repeated the finale as an encore.

The Stabat Mater was also performed on October 3rd in San Pedro and October 5th in Pasadena.
Founded in 2011 Arte Musica is blossoming, with sponsorships from the Italian Consul General and Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles.
Visit their website for their next special appearance www.artemusica.us