Universities for Nottingham & BBC Concert Orchestra: Requiem

The Requiem of 1874 is the only large-scale work that Verdi didn’t compose for the stage but this dramatic choral classic wouldn’t sound out of place at La Scala; indeed, the conductor Hans von Bülow memorably described it as ‘Verdi’s latest opera, in church vestments.’ Whatever its credentials as a devotional work, there’s no denying its sheer emotional power which deals in extremes of scale, from the outright terror of the Dies Irae – all doom-thundering bass drum and fire-spitting trumpets – to the intimacy of a pleading, unaccompanied duet in the Agnus Dei. Verdi gives his enormous chorus plenty of chance to shine, too, as in the scurrying virtuosity of the double-fugue Sanctus. Given its capacity for shock and awe, it’s not surprising that the Requiem has supercharged the soundtracks for countless movies, Including Django Unchained and Mad Max: Fury Road. Heard live in the concert hall it’s an unforgettably vivid and visceral experience.

This concert is part of a programme of activities supported by the Universities for Nottingham partnership with the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Photo: John Smalley