Dubins, Jerry (2010): "As archival material that documents the accomplishment of one of the great conductors of the 20th century, not to mention the artistry of some of its finest singers, this release will be indispensable to Fricsay collectors. ...sounds a bit constricted, recessed, and muffled in the loudest passages. ...there are quite a few later [recordings] available in far better sound and in performances at least equal to if not superior to this one—Kertész with Lorengar, Minton, Pavarotti, Sotin, and the LSO comes to mind..." Fanfare, Vol. 33 (3), January/February 2010. Accessed July 27, 2010. Subscription required.
Kasow, Joel (1999), Fanfare: "This may be the first recording of Rossini's Stabat Mater using 'original' instruments, but if the performance is to be so literal and unimaginative, then the result is pointless. ...search out the rival recording on DG by Chung, who shows us what a conductor ... can make of this deceptively simple music." Fanfare23 (3), January/February 2000. Accessed July 27, 2010. Subscription required.
Kasow, Joel, (2001), fanfairarchive.com: "This is a literal reading: The tempos are quite jaunty, with blaring brass instruments more appropriate to the Dies Irae from Verdi's Requiem.... None of the singers is particularly distinctive.... My recommendation remains the Chung recording on DG, though acquaintance with the Fricsay recording (also DG) has its rewards despite the choppy phrasing of the singers." Fanfare Vol. 25 (2), November/December 2001. Accessed 29 July 2010. Subscription required.
Glass, Herbert (2004): "The present production emerges several sizes too large in terms of orchestral and choral weight. ... The numerous CD versions of the Stabat Mater include large-scale affairs such as the present one and those under Kertész, Giulini, Muti, and Chung, and the period editions under Marcus Creed and Christoph Spering, both with accomplished, less hefty solo ensembles and correspondingly smaller orchestral and choral forces. None is without its points of interest, but as overall satisfying encounters with this wonderfully entertaining work, I’ll take the lightweights, first choice being Spering’s (on the Opus 111 label) for its verve and clarity, and for contralto Sara Mingardo’s standout contribution." Fanfare Vol. 27 (3), January/February 2004. Accessed 29 July 2010. Subscription required.
gramophone.net
Osborne, Richard (1989): "Extant recordings have yet to reach double figures and of those only three—the Giulini/DG, the Muti/EMI, and the deleted 1955 DG recording conducted by Ferenc Fricsay—have any real merit. ... [The Kertész recording] is strongly cast and has the advantage of some dedicated choral contributions from Arthur Oldham's LSO Chorus. But none of this is to much avail when the conducting itself is so perfunctory." Gramophone, July 1989, page 78. [dead link] Accessed July 27, 2010.
