What is the Verdi Requiem?

Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi composed this piece in 1874, in memorial for his literary idol Alessandro Manzoni.

A requiem mass is traditionally sung in latin, and is part of the sacred funeral ceremony in the Catholic Church. Requiems by other composers like Mozart, Brahms and the French composer Faure have become famous concert pieces in their own right.

By the time Verdi composed his requiem, he had dominated the Italian opera world for decades with works such as Nabucco, La Traviata and Il Rigoletto. Verdi used all his dramatic techniques from writing operas when he constructed this requiem, including melodic solo arias, thrilling orchestration, and powerful choruses, the most famous is the ‘Dies Irae’ movement which has frequently featured in popular culture and cinema.

The Requiem is 90-minutes in duration, and consists of 7 movements. This performance features a 40-piece orchestra, a 70-voice choir and 4 soloists.