PERGOLESI: STABAT MATER & HANDEL: ITALIAN DUETS | APRIL 2009

Mary Wilson and Ian Howell are artists whose phenomenal vocal gifts, commitment to interpretive excellence, dazzling technical prowess, and sheer beauty of tone always elicit the most sensational receptions from ABS audiences. Indeed, they have won our hearts. Both singers are superb in the Italian repertoire, so ABS has designed a program to showcase their universally appreciated talents. Pergolesi's Stabat Mater has been the vehicle of choice for soprano-alto duos for centuries. Its exquisite vocal lines and depth of expressive rhetoric never fail to gratify and thrill audiences. And a delightful selection of Handel's Italian Duets (including three from Rinaldo, Ariodante, and Giulio Cesare) will make this an evening of unforgettable vocalism. One of Corelli's Concerti Grossi and a surprisingly familiar Trio Sonata by Domenico Gallo (music that Stravinsky used in his "Pulcinella" Suite) will feature ABS instrumentalists Elizabeth Blumenstock, Janet Strauss, Aaron Westman, William Skeen, Steven Lehning, and Corey Jamason.