published: 2022-09-09

Verdi for a good start

Name: Verdi for a good start
Start: 2022-09-09

Hans von Bülow, conductor, pianist, and composer, and, in his personal life, Richard Wagner's father-in-law, described Verdi's Messa da Requiem as "an opera disguised in liturgical vestments", accusing the author of utterly corrupting the Italian style. In stark contrast to von Bülow, Brahms regarded Verdi's composition as a work of genius.

Photo of the orchestra and choir performing on stage. - grafika artykułu — The Choir and Orchestra of the Wielki Theatre, photograph courtesy of the organiser

Photo of the orchestra and choir performing on stage.

Photo of the artist on a black background.

Photo of the conductor on a black background.

Concert poster - photo of the conductor and information about the concert.

The turbulent history of this work, initially intended to be performed on the first anniversary of Gioacchino Rossini's death (1869), is a musical record of mourning after the death of the poet Alessandro Manzoni, who was admired by Verdi in his adult years. "The panache of the composer's opera compositions, juxtaposed with lyrical reflection on the evanescence of time, is deeply moving, making Messa da Requiem much more than a mere liturgical service for the peace of a soul", reads an announcement of a concert scheduled to kick off the new season of the Wielki Theatre on 11 September. Requiem will be performed by Iwona Sobotka, soprano; Gosha Kowalinska, mezzo-soprano; Dominik Sutowicz, tenor; Rafał Korpik, bass; and the choir and orchestra of the Wielki Theatre, all under the direction of Marco Guidarini.

Written by the Editors

translation: Krzysztof Kotkowski

Opening of the 2022/2023 artistic season of the Wielki Theatre with Messa da Requiem by Giuseppe Verdi, Adam Mickiewicz University Auditorium, 11 September, 6pm, admission: PLN 40-80

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Verdi for a good start