Ex. 8-4: Cujus animam gementem

Composed in 1781 for soprano and string quintet, commissioned by his patron, the Infante Don Luis of Spain, at Arenas de San Pedro. Don Luis, a younger brother of King Carlos III, had been pushed out of the royal court after marrying a woman far below his rank, and was living in semi-exile in the mountains. Boccherini — one of the great cellists of his time — followed him there. It is one of Boccherini's few vocal works — he was primarily a chamber music composer, with over 100 string quintets to his name.

Boccherini's wife, the singer Clementina Pelliccia, likely sang the soprano part at the premiere, accompanied by Don Luis's own musicians.

Nearly twenty years later, Boccherini revised the work for three voices, added an overture taken from the opening movement of one of his own symphonies, and published it as Op. 61. The revision was commissioned by Lucien Bonaparte — Napoleon's brother, then serving as French ambassador to Spain.

Vivaldi's Stabat Mater is also in this app. (Ex. 8-2: Stabat Mater dolorosa by Antonio Vivaldi)

From the album Boccherini: Stabat Mater by Nuria Rial with Orchester Le Phénix (2018)
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