Franz on Verdi’s Requiem
Verdi’s Requiem is a powerful tribute to life eternal. Best known for the fateful drum strikes in its iconic Dies irae, Verdi’s dramatic choral work offers a breathtaking journey through the stages of grief, ultimately ending in peaceful consolation.
As an opera conductor, I have spent many years immersed in Verdi’s music, but the Requiem truly stands apart as one of his most memorable masterpieces. There is a common misconception that the work should be approached operatically simply because Verdi was the great master of Italian opera. It certainly contains theatrical elements and moments of high drama, but it is all too easy to focus on the volcanic qualities and overlook the tenderness embedded in the Latin text.
I prefer to look back to the great Italian conductors — Arturo Toscanini and Victor de Sabata, for instance — who took what was on the page extremely seriously rather than relying on operatic tropes. Riccardo Muti puts it very well when he notes that the “Hostias,” for example, should sound like a priest intoning the Mass, not like Alfredo in La traviata or the Duke in Rigoletto.
Even though Verdi himself was an atheist, he deeply appreciated the Italian sacred music tradition and the solemnity of the text. You can hear, particularly in the a cappella choral writing, how closely he had studied Renaissance composers such as Gesualdo. Elsewhere, he treats the text with great dignity, shaping it through his own distinctive musical language and genius.
To bring this monumental work to life, you need not only a great orchestra but also a powerful chorus and soloists with the necessary stamina to convey its full gravity. In Asmik Grigorian, for example, you have a soprano who brings extraordinary stage presence and emotional depth to her performances. Plus, the dedication, enthusiasm, and professionalism of our all-volunteer chorus are remarkable, and under the direction of Lisa Wong, it has grown into something truly extraordinary.
More than two decades have passed since I last led Verdi’s Requiem with the Orchestra in 2004, and revisiting this monumental work with this ensemble after so many years feels deeply special. Sharing it with you at these performances makes it all the more meaningful.
— Franz Welser-Möst, Music Director