Album DetailsMuch of What We Now Know About Rossini as a Composer of Sacred Music Has Come to Light in Recent Years. The Stabat Mater and Petite Messe Solennelle Are the Only Sacred Pieces by Rossini to Be Performed and Recorded with Any Sort of Regularity. This Recording Includes the Popular Petite Messe but in an Orchestration Made by the Composer in 1867 (The Original Version for 12 Voices, Two Pianos and Harmonium was First Heard in 1864) and the Messa Di Milano. This Work Takes Its Name from the Current Location of the Manuscripts (Milan Conservatory) and Analysis Would Suggest it is an Early Work, Written around 1808. This Coupling, as Well as Pairing a Popular Work with a Rarity, Provides an Fascinating Comparison Between Two Religious Works Written at Opposite Ends of Rossini's Life (1792-1868).