Lamentationes Hebdomadae Sacrae

Joseph Hector Fiocco. His name mirrors his style: a synthesis of Italian and French elements. But contrary to what is often alleged, from a stylistic point of view, his Lamentations are more similar to the Leçons de Ténèbres (1714) by the Frenchman François Couperin, than to the Stabat Mater (1736) by the Italian Giovanni Pergolesi. The Lamentations feature great formal diversity, which is also found in the concern for varying the forces, whether instrumental or vocal. The first eight are for soprano, the last for bass. As concerns the instruments, some call for just the continuo, whereas in others, a cello obbligato part is added.