The moving text of the Stabat mater has been an inspiration to many composers from the Renaissance onwards, the text having set to music in the style of every musical period. Luigi Boccherini, a virtuoso cellist and unquestioned master of chamber music, set about composing this religious work with total respect for its identity. The quintet that accompanies the solo soprano possesses all the qualities of balance and homogeneity common to the best chamber music works at the end of the Classical period and the blend between voices and instruments is perfect; Boccherini's profound respect for the text enables him to find the exact musical character of each verse every time.