Easter Concert — Verdi's Requiem

Giuseppe Verdi's Messa da Requiem is one of the most monumental works written in the genre, due to its scope and its musical writing, which challenge some of the constraints associated with this type of repertoire. The idea of composing a Requiem Mass arose from historical motivation and personal admiration. After the death of the writer Alessandro Manzoni in 1873, a figure Verdi greatly admired — particularly for his literary contribution to the Risorgimento movement — the composer proposed the composition of a Messa da Requiem, an idea well received by the Mayor of Milan. Verdi set about composing the work with the aim of premiering it on the first anniversary of Manzoni's death, on 22 May 1874. The premiere took place on that date, at the Church of San Marco in Milan, under his baton and with a cast of renowned opera singers. Operatic language marks Verdi's approach to the genre. Throughout the work's sections, Verdi uses different expressive resources that mark the inspired melodies, dramatic and tense moments, passing through almost ethereal sonorities, in breathtaking musical writing. Pre-concert talk 30 minutes before. El Corte Inglés supports the CCB Classical Music Mediation Programme.