“Brilliant singer ... a lean, straightforward voice animated by a subtle flatée ... real ‘vocal artistry’,” raved German early music expert Bernhard Morbach of Kulturradio Berlin Brandenburg about Amaryllis Dieltiens’ debut on AEOLUS in 2011. With her own ensemble Capriola Di Gioia, Dieltiens now presents a deeply touching Stabat mater in Boccherini’s original version from 1781.

With the use of a continuo organ in addition to the string quintet, the ensemble follows its own path, making the sound more austere and sacral. Two secular soprano arias and a dynamic sonata for harpsichord and violin round off the program and show that Boccherini’s music has much to offer beyond the famous string quartets and quintets. The accompanying text by Peter Dirksen is well worth reading, and AEOLUS provides an audiophile SACD recording in stereo and surround sound.