Septem verba a Christo (in cruce moriente prolata)

"the work is beautiful, and its deeply spiritual loveliness has been realised in a fine period performance. Certainly, it won't be languishing in dusty libraries any more. It is, in its own way, just as sublime as the Stabat Mater, and René Jacobs and his musicians have given it a comprehensive rehabilitation." Charlotte Gardner, bbc.co.uk, 11th March 2013

"this hybrid cycle of seven early-18th-century cantatas based on the Seven Last Words is deeply impressive...The mood ranges wide, from fiery, coloratura-laden anger to a touching lyricism." Sunday Times, 3rd March 2013

Now attributed to Pergolesi on the basis of recent research, the 'Seven Words of Christ' has been regarded as 'one of the most heartfelt works of art, full of profound tenderness and an all-conquering sense of beauty' [Hermann Scherchen, on its discovery in 1930]. However, his judgment has remained unheeded and only the discovery of two more manuscripts in the abbeys of Kremsmünster and Aldersbach, by the musicologist Reinhard Fehling, prompted the firm of Breitkopf & Härtel to publish a critical edition.

In principle this recording follows the Breitkopf edition. Its editor very kindly gave René Jacobs facsimiles, not only the individual parts from Kremsmünster (his principal source), but also those from Metten and Zurich. Pergolesi's work, probably composed between 1730 and the year of his early death, 1736, was intended for an extra-liturgical devotion on Good Friday. This major discovery of the Neapolitan Baroque was given its concert premiere at the Beaune Festival in July 2012, a few days before this world premiere recording.

Rene Jacobs has received many distinctions from music critics including Record of the Year from Gramophone for Mozart's 'Le nozze di Figaro' in 2004. Classica magazine voted him 'Artist of the year 2009' for his recordings of Telemann's 'Brockes-Passion', Mozart's 'Idomeneo', and Haydn's 'Die Schöpfung'.

More recently, his astonishing version of Mozart's 'Die Zauberflöte' has been released to enthusiastic acclaim (CD des Jahres in Opernwelt, Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik, Choc de l'année 2010 in Classica, BBC Music Magazine Award).

Long a professor at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, René Jacobs has maintained a privileged relationship with this institution where he has trained many singers who now appear with him in the leading international venues.