Verdi's Requiem

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Image courtesy of Palau de la Música.

Giuseppe Verdi composed his Messa da Requiem in 1873, at the height of his career. The Requiem has long been interpreted as a personal lament for the death of his friend, the Italian poet Alessandro Manzoni. The premiere left a lasting impact — not only due to the power of its message, but also because of its groundbreaking nature.

Verdi, primarily known as an opera composer, brought dramatic intensity and emotional depth to the sacred form. The freedom allowed by the Church's liturgical framework enabled him to omit the Gloria, thus diminishing the emphasis on resurrection, a central tenet of Christian doctrine.

Alongside Verdi’s Requiem, this program features a work by the Catalan composer Valls Xufré, a passionate admirer of the Europeanist movement. His piece stands as a true ode to the transformation of a devastated Europe in the aftermath of the Second World War, culminating in the formation of the European Union.

The constant transformation of humanity through birth, death and resurrection forms the common thread that unites the works in this program.

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