"Stabat Mater is a 13th century hymn to Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, depicting her sufferings during the crucifixion ... What the congregation in the Schlosskirche in Eisenstadt heard 256 years ago differs however quite a lot from René Jacobs and his forces offer on this recording ... Here, the work is performed in the version Haydn in 1803 commissioned his pupil Sigismund Neukomm to expand the orchestration ... This pays dividends, not least in the two bass arias (tr. 5 & tr. 11) which are the dramatic highpoints. Overall, it makes the music grander, more extrovert and suited for concert purposes ... The performance is taut and committed ... The four soloists are excellent ... To sum up, this is a highly recommendable recording of a Stabat Mater with a special twist: the enlarged wind orchestration from 1803"

"Editor's choice - March 2023: Using the 1803 edition of the score for expanded wind section which Haydn prepared in collaboration with Sigismund Neukomm, Jacobs gives the Stabat Mater full-scale operatic treatment on this arresting recording, which grabs you by the scruff of the neck right from the opening bars; Immler supplies blood and thunder aplenty in the 'Pro peccatis', and in Jacobs's hands the 'Flammis orcis ne succendar' would scarcely sound out of place in the Verdi Requiem"

Vurdering: 4/5

"Jacobs is a conductor who always strives to inject as much drama as possible into his performances, and he vividly conveys the sobbing effects and the stabs of pain that run through the Stabat Mater ... This is generally an impressive performance, helped by an accomplished team of soloists and a strong choral contribution from the Zurich Sing-Akadamie"