Composer & Artist:
Composer: Giuseppe Verdi
Artist: Daniela Nedialkova (soprano), Ivanka Ninova (mezzo soprano), Roumen Doikov (tenor), Emil Ponorski (bass), Choir and Orchestra of the Sofia Opera, Ivan Marinov (conductor)
About this Album:
In 1868 Rossini died, and the leading composers of the day grouped together to contribute to a jointly composed Requiem for the great man who had dominated Italian opera for half a century. Much to Verdi’s frustration, the work was never performed. In 1871, the director of the Milan Conservatoire asked him if he’d ever thought of composing a Requiem of his own – after all, he’d written the Libera me, the final part of the multicomposer work. Verdi dismissed the idea, saying that there were enough Requiems already.
In 1873, Verdi’s friend, and favourite author Alessandro Manzoni died aged 88. Verdi had first read his novels when he was 16 years old. He was devastated at the news of Manzoni’s death, so much so he was unable to attend his funeral. This provided the catalyst for what is the grandest of all Requiems. Premiered in 1874 with the composer conducting, it was an immediate success, and Verdi toured the work to Paris, London, Cologne and Vienna – in fact he conducted it more often than any of his operas. Overtly operatic in nature, it has been called ‘Verdi’s greatest opera’, but it is a deeply spiritual work, adhering to the traditional Mass for the dead. It ranks among the very greatest of religious works alongside Bach’s Mass in B minor, Mozart’s Requiem and Beethoven’s Missa solemnis.
Tracklist:
00:00:00 I. Requiem aeternam – Kyrie
00:08:52 II. Dies irae: Dies irae
00:10:53 II. Dies irae: Tuba mirum
00:13:42 II. Dies irae: Liber scriptus
00:18:24 II. Dies irae: Quid sum miser
00:21:59 II. Dies irae: Rex tremendae
00:25:15 II. Dies irae: Recordare
00:29:19 II. Dies irae: Ingemisco
00:32:26 II. Dies irae: Confutatis
00:37:24 II. Dies irae: Lacrymosa
00:43:09 III. Offertorium: Domine Jesu Christe
00:52:38 IV. Sanctus
00:55:10 V. Agnus Dei
01:00:19 VI. Lux aeterna
01:06:14 VII. Libera me
