Verdi's Requiem

Imagine everyone’s astonishment when Italian operatic genius Giuseppe Verdi suddenly presented his audience with a requiem. His monumental Messa da Requiem is very different, however, from traditional funeral masses. A religious sceptic, Verdi speaks the language of the theatre, rather than that of the church, in his music. But the outcome is the same: a work of pure genius. The Dies Irae and Rex Tremendae pulsate with raw energy, the four soloists add a more intimate texture and the entire work ends on a note of excruciating doubt. Even in his operas, Verdi never managed to span such a broad emotional spectrum in so very few pages. Philippe Herreweghe lets the choir and orchestra shine in this firm favourite of the choral repertoire.