[2] Composed in the final weeks of Pergolesi's life,[3] it is scored for soprano and alto soloists, violin I and II, viola and basso continuo.

[4] The work was composed for a Neapolitan confraternity, the Cavalieri della Vergine dei Dolori di San Luigi al Palazzo,[5] which had also commissioned a Stabat Mater from Alessandro Scarlatti.

[9] Many composers adapted the work, including Giovanni Paisiello, who extended the orchestral accompaniment,[10] and Joseph Eybler, who added a choir to replace some of the duets.

Padre Martini criticised its light, operatic style in 1774, and believed it was too similar to Pergolesi's comic opera La serva padrona to adequately deliver the pathos of the text.

[4] Hans Frank, Erich Kuchar Kathleen Ferrier Hetty Plümacher Elisabeth Höngen Hanne Münch Jeanne Deroubaiz Maureen Lehane Christa Ludwig Maureen Forrester Anita Turner-Butler Maria Minetto Teresa Berganza Tuula Nienstedt Alfreda Hodgson Christian Siferlinger, Michael Stumpf Lucia Valentini-Terrani Alfreda Hodgson Julia Hamari René Jacobs Lucia Valentini-Terrani Gérard Lesne Alain Zaepffel Michael Chance James Bowman Julia Hamari Derek Lee Ragin Delores Ziegler Cecilia Bartoli Jochen Kowalski Catherine Robbin Brigitte Fournier Julia Faulkner Martina Borst Manuela Custer Christa Ludwig Andreas Scholl Gérard Lesne Patrizia Bovi Sonia Prina, contralto Jörg Waschinski Chiarastella Onorati David Daniels Susanne Rydén Nathalie Stutzmann Lucia Valentini-Terrani Ulrika Tenstam Angharad Gruffydd Jones Bernarda Fink Sara Mingado Marianna Pizzolato Terry Wey Julia Lezhneva Alex Potter Terry Barber Silvia Frigato Lucy Crowe Paulin Bündgen Francesca Provvisionato Christopher Lowrey Filippo Mineccia