“Stabat Mater” is based on an ancient Franciscan text that tells of the sorrow of Mary, the mother at the foot of the cross. A universal theme that takes on extra charge during All Souls' Day. Pergolesi composed his heavenly masterpiece in 1736, shortly before he died at age twenty-six. His “swan song” has been one of the most beloved classical works ever since. Before intermission, maestro Luigi Piovani will play the Third cello concerto by Bach's most famous son on his magnificent Italian master cello - built in Cremona in 1692.