Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

From the opening bars we know when and where we are: this is what I call Southern European Baroque and we are in Italy, Milan to be precise, in the Year of Our Lord 1759. Giovanni Battista Sammartini had a long and active musical career yet surprisingly few of his sacred compositions survive and by no means all have been recorded - indeed this CD is a world première recording. Musicologists remember his contribution to the development of the symphony and recognise that he gave impetus to the movement away from Baroque into what we call Classical. Sammartini's career saw him serve as organist or maestro di cappella in several establishments. The title track, "Jerusalem, Ungrateful And Disowning" ("Libretto for Jewish Wickedness In The Most Holy Passion of Jesus Christ", to translate it in full) opens with a pleasant sinfonia and then develops its theme through three vocal lines: Mary Salome, sung by the tenor Giorgio Tiboni; Mary Cleophas (mezzo-soprano Miroslava Yordanova) and Mary Magdalene (soprano Silvia Mapelli). The music sounds too joyous for the words - this is a meditation on the betrayal and execution of Jesus - but of course we know how the story ends: not in defeat but in victory.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.