Verdi’s “Messa da Requiem” for All Saints’ Day at the Grand Theater in Łódź and the National Philharmonic in Warsaw
Giuseppe Verdi’s one-and-a-half-hour “Messa da Requiem” is a funeral mass for choir, soloists and orchestra, dedicated to the writer Alessandro Manzoni. Although based around Christian ideas and symbols, the piece is not a typical funeral mass in the liturgical sense. It was created spontaneously to express sadness and grief after the death of a friend, a sadness so great that Verdi was unable to participate in the poet’s funeral. Requiem has an intense impact on the listener, and the sincerity of the emotions that accompanied the composer during its creation can still be heard today in every bar played by the orchestra and in every note sung. “Messa da Requiem” is frequently considered Verdi’s most beautiful opera.
The first concert performance of the score was held in the church of Saint Mark in Milan on May 22, 1874. The premiere was funded by the local government in Milan. The soloists were the leading singers of La Scala: Teresa Stolz, Maria Waldmann, Giuseppe Capponi and Ormondo Maini. The orchestra and the choir of 120 singers were conducted by the composer himself.
On Sunday, November 3, on the occasion of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, Verdi’s sacred work will be performed at the Grand Theater in Łódź and the National Philharmonic in Warsaw.
The concert at the National Philharmonic will feature the National Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir under the baton of Alessandro Bonato, with soloists: Oksana Nosatova (soprano), Štěpánka Pučálková (mezzo-soprano), Andeka Gorrotxategi (tenor) and Adam Palka (bass). The performance at the Grand Theater in Łódź will feature Izabela Matuła (soprano), Olga Maroszek (mezzo-soprano), David Baños (tenor) and Rafał Pikała (bass). The choir and orchestra of the Grand Theater in Łódź will be conducted by Rafał Janiak.