Portions of this post come from a previous post published on September 18, 2022 on Verdi’s Requiem.
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Building a Collection #13
Messa da Requiem (Requiem Mass)
By Giuseppe Verdi
“Verdi’s latest opera in ecclesiastical garb”
-The critic Hans von Bulow on hearing Verdi’s Messa da Requiem
Welcome back! We have progressed on our Building a Collection list to #13 in the top 250 classical works of all-time. This is the first time on the list we are encountering the great Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi, and he appears here with his epic Messa da Requiem. The work is often simply referred to as Verdi’s Requiem.
Verdi’s Requiem is also a personal favorite of mine, and I have yet to find anyone that doesn’t enjoy or at least admire the work after hearing it. It is certainly one of the greatest choral works ever composed, and it is a hugely popular and often performed work. Even though it is set to the Roman Catholic Requiem Mass, Verdi’s version is really more dramatic than liturgical, and perhaps even more operatic than devotional. Nevertheless, Verdi’s Requiem has an appeal which transcends classical music, and in my own view is one of the greatest pieces of music ever composed.
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi was born in 1813 in Le Roncole, Italy and died in 1901 in Milan, Italy. Certainly one of the greatest opera composers in history, Verdi perfected Italian opera, taking the genre to new heights dramatically and musically. Considered among the greats in opera alongside Mozart, Wagner, and Puccini, Verdi lives on in the many performances of his greatest works including: Rigoletto, La Traviata, Il Trovatore, Aida, Otello, Falstaff, and his Messa da Requiem.
Verdi showed early musical talent on the piano, and by the age of 15 had already begun composing. After the Milan Conservatory turned him away, he studied privately with several well-known teachers. In 1839, after moving full-time to Milan, he composed his first opera Oberto. Oberto was a success, but his second effort, Un giorno di regno, was a failure. Worse yet, after tragically losing his two children in previous years, his wife died leaving Verdi alone and depressed. In the immediate years after his wife’s death, Verdi attempted to rebound with the operas Nabucco, I Lombardi, Macbeth, and Luisa Miller in a series of mostly successful productions.
In the period 1851 through 1853, Verdi wrote three of his most popular operas, Il Trovatore, La Traviata, and Rigoletto. Although Il Trovatore and Rigoletto were immediate successes, La Traviata was not well-received initially. After some revisions, it too became a great success. For a time Verdi was involved in politics, and this became evident in his next works, Simon Boccanegra and Un Ballo in Maschera. By now he was well established as one of the greatest composers of his time, and the public eagerly awaited his new works. In the 1860s, Verdi composed La forza del destino and Don Carlos, both premiered in St. Petersburg.
Verdi moved permanently to Genoa, Italy and composed Aida in 1870, which was a great success. But the composer gave up opera for a period of time thereafter, composing his String Quartet and Messa da Requiem in the 1870s. After a long opera gap, he turned out another opera in Otello in 1886 and then his final opera Falstaff in 1893. Falstaff, a bold and creative comic opera, became one of his greatest triumphs. In his final years, Verdi founded a hospital and a home for retired musicians. He retired to live at the Grand Hotel in Milan, composing his final work Quatro pezzi sacri (Four Sacred Pieces) published in 1897.
Messa da Requiem
Verdi’s Requiem grew from a project to commemorate the death of the great Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (b. 1792 - d. 1868). You may know Rossini as the composer of such well-known operas as Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), La Cenerentola (Cinderella), and Guillaume Tell (William Tell). The plan was to invite all of the noted composers of the day to each compose a movement to unite into one great Requiem Mass that would be performed on November 13th, 1869 in Bologna (where Rossini had grown up). Verdi wrote, “Rossini’s reputation was the most widespread and the most popular of our time, it was one of the glories of Italy.”
The plan fell through unfortunately. The authorities in Bologna did not cooperate, and the singers and musicians refused to perform without being paid. Verdi had already composed the final movement of the Mass, the Libera Me, which he was forced to set aside. Verdi turned his attention to work on the next opera he was composing, which was Aida.
In 1873, the famous Italian novelist Alessandro Manzoni died. As much as Verdi lamented the death of Rossini, he was even more moved by the death of Manzoni. Manzoni had written one of the greatest novels in the Italian language, I Promessi Sposi (In English, The Betrothed), which Verdi revered. The news of his death was a huge blow. Verdi said upon hearing of his death, “Now all is over, and with him ends the purest, holiest title to our fame.” He told Ricordi, his publisher, “I could not bear to be present at the funeral, I shall come later to find the grave, alone and unseen. I may have a proposal to make to you as to how his memory should be honored.”
Verdi wrote to the mayor of Milan offering to compose a Requiem Mass for the anniversary of Manzoni’s death. “It is a heartfelt impulse, or rather a crying need, to do all in my power to honor this great spirit whom I valued so highly as a writer and I honored so sincerely as a man - the true pattern of patriotic virtue.” Thus the Libera me written for Rossini became the final section of what became known as the world-famous Manzoni Requiem now known simply as Verdi’s Requiem. The first performance took place on May 22, 1874 in the Church of San Marco in Milan, with Verdi conducting an orchestra of 100 and a chorus of 120. Three more performances were given at La Scala Theatre, and then Verdi took the work on a tour of Paris, London, and Vienna. It was received exuberantly, with audiences frequently demanding that certain movements be played again as encores.
Verdi was not a particularly religious man, and thus his Requiem was not written for liturgical use but is rather meant as a concert work. Verdi mostly ignored the prevailing Catholic musical idiom of the day, and imbued his work with theatricality based on images and beliefs contained in the text. He portrays the Requiem with an unashamedly emotional character, and thus gave rise to the accurate claim that it is more operatic than pious. Verdi confronts death both as an object of terror, as well as the ultimate liberator and comforter. His Requiem exploits the universal human emotions elicited by death, rather than merely reciting the text in a liturgical manner. Thus it is a work of immense spirituality and prayer, and drives directly to the heart of our mortality. It is perhaps not surprising that Verdi, the greatest Italian opera composer ever, would write a Requiem full of drama and full of typical Italianate opera features.
The sections of the Requiem Mass as Verdi wrote them are included as follows:
I. REQUIEM & KYRIE (Chorus and Soloists)
II. DIES IRAE
a. Dies irae, dies illa (Chorus)
b. Tuba mirum spargens sonum (Bass, Chorus)
c. Liber scriptus proferetur (Mezzo-soprano, Chorus)
d. Quid sum miser (Mezzo-soprano, soprano, tenor)
e. Rex tremendae majestatis (Chorus, Soloists)
f. Recordare, Jesu pie (Mezzo-soprano, soprano)
g. Ingemisco tamquam reus (Tenor)
h. Confutatis maledictis (Bass, Chorus)
i. Lacrymosa dies illa (Soloists, Chorus)
III. OFFERTORIO (Soloists)
IV. SANCTUS (Chorus)
V. AGNUS DEI (Soprano, Mezzo-soprano, Chorus)
VI. LUX AETERNA (Mezzo-soprano, Tenor, Bass)
VII. LIBERA ME (Soprano, Chorus)
The entire work evolves in a giant panorama of sound and voice, and while never losing its connection to the Latin liturgical text, it is certainly more similar to an opera. In the solo sections of the Recordare, Ingemisco, Confutatis, and Hostias what we hear are essentially solo arias similar to what you might hear in an opera. However, the way Verdi weaves it all together in a continuous drama that builds into a larger tableaux is genius.
The soloists’ parts are difficult in themselves, but how the soloists blend together is also essential to the success of any Requiem performance. The nuances of harmonic, orchestra, and vocal timbre seem endless, and to keep it all together is no small feat. The weight and drama of the music and the direct emotion it brings equal or surpass any other Requiem you might hear.
The beginning Requiem and Kyrie set the tone, and must be performed with subtlety and piety until the tenor enters with the Kyrie, followed by the other soloists. If the tenor at the beginning of the Kyrie doesn’t sing well in what is a very exposed solo, it is painfully obvious.
Perhaps the most well-known of the sections of Verdi’s Requiem is the Dies Irae. It explodes off the page in an orchestral and choral blast that has no rival in classical music in terms of sheer volume and sound. The Latin text translates to:
“The day of wrath, that day will dissolve the world in ashes, as David prophesied with the Sibyl. How great a terror there will be when the judge shall come who will thresh out everything thoroughly.”
Truly terrifying. The music indeed carries with it terror by way of trumpet blasts and perfectly timed thwacks on the bass drum (one of the most identifiable parts of it) which could literally wake the dead at the last judgment. This is one of the most dramatic sequences in all of music.
Many listeners will judge a performance of Verdi’s Requiem on the soprano part, and in particular the Libera me, which constitutes the final 12-15 minutes of the work. This section contains some of the most fiendishly difficult notes for sopranos, in a part that also demands tremendous range for both higher and lower notes. What is more, the soprano must bring the entire drama to a head with singing that reflects the haunting text:
“Deliver me, O Lord, from eternal death on that awful day when the heavens and earth shall be moved: when Thou shalt come to judge the world by fire. I am seized with trembling and I fear the time when the trial shall approach, and the wrath to come; when the heavens and earth shall be moved. A day of wrath, that day of calamity and woe, a great day and bitter indeed.”
Verdi uses contrast so well throughout his Requiem, using different chromatic techniques both orchestrally and chorally. There is a particular thrust evident that comes and goes in different parts. There is violence alongside plaintive solo parts, thunder along with the calm after the storm. In the end, it is a captivating vision that can leave the listener feeling terrified and exhausted, but also in awe.
Recommended Recordings
Recording Verdi’s Requiem is a monumental task. In order to bring it off well, it is important for the orchestra, the chorus, the soloists, and the conductor to all perform at the highest level, and to be on the same page with regard to dynamics, speeds and diction. The voices of the soloists must blend well. The chorus must be able to sing very softly and very loudly equally well, and of course clearly. The demands on the orchestra are great too, and the conductor must hold things together in a cohesive vision. One weak link can virtually doom a performance, and it is difficult to find a recording that gets all the elements just right. However, there are some that rise above the rest.
Top Choice
In 1967, the Deutsche Grammophon record label recorded a film of Giuseppe Verdi’s Messa da Requiem, featuring a “dream” cast of four of the best soloists in the prime of their young careers: soprano Leontyne Price, mezzo-soprano Fiorenza Cossotto, tenor Luciano Pavarotti, and bass Nicolai Ghiaurov. The conductor is the legendary Herbert von Karajan, and he is leading the Orchestra and Chorus of the Theatre della Scala Opera House in Milan. The DVD film was directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, and the performance was filmed live in an empty La Scala Opera House. The filmed performance was made two days prior to the first concert to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the death of the great Italian maestro Arturo Toscanini. There is an audio CD recording of that first concert performance with the same performers a few days later, but it is sadly in very inferior sound. So we are left with the film streaming (the entire performance can be found on YouTube) and on DVD, which I believe is an historic landmark in classical music. It is really a performance for the ages. For me, all other recordings of Verdi’s Requiem pale in comparison. The qualities that make this performance great include:
The greatest Verdi soprano ever in Leontyne Price at the apex of her career, with a voice that is stunning, with seemingly effortless high notes, just an incredibly beautiful instrument with tremendous range. Price’s voice also had a smoky quality to it, which only made it better for Verdi. Price recorded the Requiem other times to great acclaim (for Fritz Reiner in 1960 for Decca, and for Georg Solti in 1977 for RCA), but in 1967 her voice was more dramatic than 1960 and still before she began “swooping” some notes as she would later. She possessed a once-in-a-lifetime kind of voice and is certainly one of the great sopranos of the 20th century. The Requiem was ideally suited for her voice, she cuts through the orchestra in a thrilling way and if she overshadows the other soloists a bit, that is only appropriate for a soprano. If anyone deserved the title of a true “diva”, it was Leontyne Price. After hearing her in the Requiem, all other sopranos are a bit of a letdown in comparison.
Then there is the great Pavarotti, heard on this recording when he was in his 30s, and only two years after his first appearance on a major opera stage. Eventually he would become one of the most beloved tenors of all-time, but Pavarotti appears here as a last-minute replacement. The voice of the young and beardless Pavarotti is thrillingly clear and ringing, and you can certainly hear why he would go on to tremendous fame. The uniqueness of his voice, along with his ability to bring that special “Italianate” quality to his singing, makes his contribution here invaluable. It is a plus that the young Pavarotti in 1967 had less of the mannerisms that would characterize his later singing. The tenor part is particularly challenging, and you can see in the video Pavarotti still uses the music in front of him (while the two female voices don’t need the music for their parts). But his Ingemisco and Hostias are delivered with the exact amount of power and also softer middle-voice when needed. His voice blends perfectly in my opinion, and he knows when to push and when to back off. Pavarotti would later appear on other recordings of Verdi’s Requiem with Georg Solti and Joan Sutherland in 1967 on Decca, and again later with Riccardo Muti in 1987 from La Scala once again on EMI. Not surprisingly, on the 1967 recording Pavarotti sounds quite similar to this Karajan video, although the 1987 recording with Muti has other flaws and is not on the same level.
The mezzo-soprano Fiorenza Cossotto is simply brilliant in her role, and remains my favorite mezzo on any Verdi Requiem recording. While she had the ability on this recording to scale the heights with her voice, she also showed her full middle and lower registers. The quality of her voice was also distinct enough from Leontyne Price’s voice that when the two blend in the Agnus Dei, they perfectly complement each other. Also in her early 30s at the time of this recording, Cossotto had a great career in opera that would include singing alongside Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland, Montserrat Caballe, and of course Leontyne Price. She even sang several soprano roles in her career, such was her range and vocal control. Cossotto was known for her brilliant technique and perfect pitch. In her performance on this recording, especially in the Liber scriptus, Quid sum miser, and the Recordare Cossotto is every bit as impressive as the other soloists.
Finally, the Bulgarian bass Nicolai Ghiaurov rounds out the unbelievable cast of soloists. Particularly known for his Verdi roles, and his roles in Russian operas, Ghiaurov was in his late 30s at the time of this recording. He would record the bass role in Verdi’s Requiem other times, most famously on the aforementioned Giulini set from 1964 on EMI. He also recorded it for Karajan on DG in 1972 and Abbado on DG in 1986. One of the leading bass voices of the 60s and 70s, Ghiaurov sings authoritatively here in the Tuba mirum and Confutatis and blends his voice ideally throughout. Ghiaurov possessed a sonorous, rich bass voice and he was also an excellent stage actor. His opera career would include bass and baritone roles, and he was lauded by critics for his expressiveness and technical excellence.
Conductor Herbert von Karajan needs no introduction, but Verdi’s Requiem was one of his signature works to conduct. He recorded it at least five times commercially, and there are other unofficial recordings. But in 1967, Karajan was at his peak professionally, and knew exactly what he wanted in this performance. I believe he was one of the best interpreters of Verdi’s Requiem, even if some of his other recordings don’t rise to the level of this one. One of his greatest talents was attracting great singers, and bringing out their best as he does here. Generally speaking, Karajan could be controlling and overly concerned with sheer beauty of tone sometimes at the expense of the composer’s wishes. But on this great Requiem, everything is spot on. It is a triumph.
Other recommended recordings
Historic Choice
The great Arturo Toscanini knew Giuseppe Verdi personally, and Toscanini played cello in the La Scala orchestra for the premiere of Verdi’s opera Otello, and Toscanini also conducted one of the first performances of Verdi’s Aida. Toscanini watched and learned from Verdi, and so his interpretations of Verdi’s Requiem carry a certain authority. Toscanini recorded the Requiem several times, but it is his white-hot commercial recording for RCA from 1951 that I find particularly enjoyable. His NBC Symphony Orchestra and soloists Herva Nelli (soprano), Fedora Barbieri (mezzo), Giuseppe Di Stefano (tenor), and Cesare Siepi (Bass) were recorded live at Carnegie Hall. This particular reading is long on fire and intensity, which I absolutely love. But one should note Toscanini is not subtle, sensitive, or devotional in the least here. Nelli’s tone is strong and assured, even for the highest and most exposed notes. Di Stefano and Siepi are both at the height of their careers, and bring strong contributions. Barbieri’s dark tone contrasts well with Nelli. The sound is somewhat problematic. Although certainly better than Toscanini’s earlier Requiems, the soloists and brass are closely miked, while the strings and chorus are too distant. But there is no doubt about the emotional impact, and the ferocity of Toscanini’s vision. If you are looking for something a bit less driven, I recommend Toscanini’s 1940 Carnegie Hall recording which includes the superb tenor of Jussi Bjorling at his best. Some prefer it over the 1951 effort, although the sound is more compromised and Zinka Milanov’s soprano is unsure during the top notes of the Libera me.
I also enjoy Tullio Serafin’s 1939 recording with the Rome Opera House Orchestra and Chorus with the greatest bass voice to ever sing the part, Ezio Pinza and legendary tenor Beniamino Gigli. Unfortunately the sound, even with many different remasterings, is just not good enough for a general recommendation.
Other Recommended Recordings
Antonio Pappano led the Orchestra and Coro dell’ Accademia di Santa Cecilia of Rome in an EMI (now Warner) recording released in 2009. The soloists are Anja Harteros, Sonia Ganassi, Rolando Villazon, and Rene Pape. One of the most exciting and emotional accounts on record, Pappano’s experience as an opera conductor comes through as he leads a dramatic reading. The soloists are all quite good, if not exceptional, and the sound is excellent.
Christian Thielemann conducted the Staatskapelle Dresden Orchestra and State Opera Chorus in a 2014 recording on the Profil label. The soloists are relatively unknown, but all make outstanding contributions in this live recording commemorating the bombing of Dresden during WWII. Although Thielemann is most associated with the German composers, this performance brings out so many nuances in the orchestral and choral parts that I had not heard on other recordings. The sound is detailed and warm. Soloists are the Bulgarian soprano Krassimira Stoyanova, Russian mezzo Marina Prudenskaja, American tenor Charles Castronovo, and German bass Georg Zeppenfeld. They perform magnificently. Of special note are Stoyanova, with her large voice capable of tremendous emotional involvement, and tenor Castronovo has a somewhat darker tone. He proves to be up to every challenge. I particularly like his Kyrie and Ingemisco. This is perhaps as fine of a recording of the Requiem as any made in the past 50 years.
Fritz Reiner conducted the Vienna Philharmonic and Vienna Singverein on Decca from 1960. With starry soloists including Leontyne Price and tenor Jussi Bjorling (who died only three months later), this is another truly landmark recording. The sound is a bit of a liability, with some overload distortion heard during the Dies irae, and speeds are generally slower than average. But this recording has long been a favorite of audiences and critics. The young Leontyne Price is spectacular, and Bjorling still brings his unique timbre that is easily recognizable. While the mezzo of Rosalind Elias and bass of Giorgio Tozzi are not as starry, Reiner leads a performance of extremes. The opening is quite slow, but the Dies Irae is quite fast. Still, this is a deeply felt performance with the ever luxuriant Vienna strings a further highlight. Bjorling’s Ingemisco and Hostias are the envy of every tenor that has sung the part, even if he has lost some lustre compared to his 1940 effort with Toscanini. Price’s Libera me brings chills, and is impressive on every level. A real classic.
Sir Georg Solti recorded Verdi’s Requiem twice commercially, the first in 1967 with the Vienna Philharmonic and the Vienna State Opera Chorus with soloists Dame Joan Sutherland (soprano), Marilyn Horne (mezzo), Luciano Pavarotti (tenor), and Martti Talvela (bass). Solti’s conception is large, epic, and operatic, and his star-studded lineup of soloists do not disappoint. Pavarotti is particularly impressive (recorded the same year as the famous La Scala film with Karajan), his diction and articulation nearly perfect. Joan Sutherland is not a soprano I would think of being associated with Verdi, as her diction was a known deficit. Nevertheless, she brings a full-tone and has all the notes. American mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne is also none too accurate with her pronunciation, but produces a beautiful tone. Solti is more perceptive and insightful than expected, his reputation for bluntness and theatricality becoming more evident later in his career. The recorded sound is simply astounding for the time, and of course the Viennese orchestra and chorus perform marvelously. This is an enjoyable and epic reading. Solti’s later 1977 recording with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on RCA, starring Leontyne Price, is impressive in its own way. But Price is not as on point when compared to her younger self, and the rest of the soloists are relatively average.
Indian conductor Zubin Mehta was the director of the New York Philharmonic from 1978 until 1991. Mehta had a mostly tumultuous and negatively-received tenure with the NYPO, but this tremendous 1980 recording of Verdi’s Requiem (re-released by Sony a few years ago) is stirring and visceral in its impact. Soloists are Montserrat Caballe (soprano), Bianca Berini (mezzo), Placido Domingo (tenor), and Paul Plishka (bass). Recorded in the acoustically challenging Avery Fisher Hall in New York, the sound is not ideally balanced but overall serviceable. The smaller Musica Sacra Chorus contribute a lot to the recording, they bring a lean, powerful, and detailed sound. Mezzo-soprano Bianca Berini, an unknown name to me, is superb despite rumors that she did not know the music well and had her head buried in the score. I have never been a big fan of Caballe’s voice, especially at the top where it tends to become acidic and a bit fruity. But here she brings a lot of power when needed and even in softer passages she almost sounds girlish. Tenor Placido Domingo recorded the Requiem tenor solo several times, but I find this his most enjoyable version. A consummate professional, Domingo here produces a refulgent tone, nicely characterized. His opening Kyrie is near ideal, and the way he floats the high notes in the Ingemisco and Hostias is remarkable. Plishka is commanding, better than on his other recordings of this work. The orchestra is captured well, the brass and chorus almost becoming overwhelming in louder passages. While Mehta has never really captivated me as a conductor, on this occasion he leads a great performance.
Italian conductor Riccardo Muti must have a great fondness for Verdi’s Requiem, as he has recorded it at least four times commercially (EMI/Warner 1979, BR Klassik 1981, EMI/Warner 1987, and Chicago 2009). The 1979 EMI effort with the Philharmonia is marred by a persistent wobble in the soprano’s voice. The 1987 La Scala performance is good, but not great. The Chicago performance is again marred by a sub-par soprano. Which brings us to the 1981 live recording with Muti leading the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus with soloists Jessye Norman (soprano), Agnes Baltsa (mezzo), Jose Carreras (tenor), and Yevgeny Nesterenko (bass). Although recorded in 1981, this recording was only released in 2021 by BR Klassik (and on a very recent search of streaming services I could not find it, thus I have concluded that BR Klassik pulled it off streaming. It is still available for purchase on Amazon). Finally Muti checks all the boxes in a performance which brings dramatic intensity, sensitive lyrical moments, good to great soloists, and excellent sound. Special mention must be made of Jessye Norman’s sensational soprano performance. At this point in her career, Norman produced a velvety-smooth, powerful tone but she could also sing the most tender softer passages. She handles the challenges of the high notes with stunning ease, and her Libera me equals the best on record. Mezzo Agnes Baltsa produces a strong mid and low range, and bass Yevgeny Nesterenko sings with a firm and consistent tone throughout. The only slight liability is tenor Jose Carreras. Carreras had a heroic voice early in his career, and he was thrilling to hear. He does sing quite well here in the Ingemisco and Hostias, but anytime he has to sing higher notes more powerfully, he has to strain and sometimes there is a break. Fortunately this is not nearly as obvious as it would be later on the Vienna set with Abbado conducting. It is a mystery to me why this recording was unpublished for so long.
Finally, Leonard Bernstein is not a conductor we associate with Verdi mostly because Bernstein’s forays into opera were very selective. But his 1970 recording for CBS/Columbia (now Sony) of Verdi’s Requiem with the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus at the Royal Albert Hall in London is a dramatic and captivating account. The soloists make a fine team. Tenor Placido Domingo is younger and fresher than his later effort with Mehta, and his half-voice on the Hostias is a marvel. Soprano Martina Arroyo is most effective, bringing a glorious tone to her part and especially in the Libera me. Mezzo Josephine Veasey complements Arroyo extremely well, and bass Ruggiero Raimondi brings one of the most charismatic and menacing performances on record. Bernstein is clearly energized by the opportunity to record with the LSO, and they respond well. The sound from Royal Albert Hall is good, considering its difficulties as a recording venue.
Other acclaimed recordings that don’t make my short list, but are worth exploring include:
Philharmonia Orchestra/Carlo Maria Giulini (EMI/Warner 1963-64)
Boston Symphony Orchestra/Erich Leinsdorf (RCA 1964)
The Philadelphia Orchestra/Eugene Ormandy (Sony 1964)
New Philharmonia Orchestra/Sir John Barbirolli (EMI/Warner 1969)
Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse/Michel Plasson (EMI/Warner 1991)
I hope you enjoy Verdi’s Requiem as much as I do. In any case, I want to thank you again for reading. Have a great weekend. Next time we will discuss #14 in our Building a Collection series, George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
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Notes:
Brennan, Gerald. Cummings, Robert.Palmer, John. Schrott, Allen. Woodstra, Chris. All Music Guide to Classical Music, The Definitive Guide. All Media Guide. Pp. 1439, 1451. Backbeat Books, San Francisco. 2005.
Goodwin, Noel (1987). Verdi: Messa da Requiem. Riccardo Muti, La Scala Orchestra and Chorus. EMI Liner Notes. Pp. 15-18.
Levine, Robert. A Requiem Worth Waiting For. https://www.classicstoday.com/review/a-requiem-worth-waiting-for/
Moore, Ralph. The Verdi Requiem - A Partial Survey of the Discography. Music-Web International. https://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2017/Oct/Verdi_requiem_survey.pdf
Porter, Andrew (1997). Requiem Mass. Carlo Maria Giulini, Philharmonia Orchestra. EMI liner notes. Pp. 4-5.
Porter, Cecelia (1993). Giuseppe Verdi: Messa da Requiem. Leonard Bernstein, London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Sony liner notes. Pp. 8-10.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiorenza_Cossotto