Composed during the early 1700s, Emanuele d'Astorga's nine-movement Stabat Mater was to become one of the most frequently performed choral works of the eighteenth century. Tinged with melancholy, it features ornate solos, duets, and trios interspersed between beautiful imitative moments for full chorus. Robert King has consulted eighteenth-century sources for this edition, which includes an organ reduction for rehearsal purposes.