Rossini's opera Ermione (1819) - a vibrant drama set in the aftermath of the Trojan War - is one of the best-kept secrets of his output. The sequence of excerpts chosen for this concert comprises dazzling music for soloists, orchestra and chorus.

His impassioned Stabat Mater (completed in 1841) is linked to his earlier opera by the theme of motherhood; Andromache grieves with her son in the ruins of Troy, just as the Virgin Mary grieves for her son, the crucified Christ.

"The Monteverdi Choir… sounded magnificent in the blazing fugue that evokes the gates of Paradise opening at the end of the Stabat Mater."

The Times

"An evening of extremes from strong operatic emotions, to bouncy quasi-opera buffa solos, all supported by strong, vivid orchestral detail."

Planet Hugill

Watch our project trailer to hear from Jakob Lehmann and some of our musicians on the music of Gioachino Rossini:

Read about Jakob's approach to Rossini's music and historically informed practice.