Giuseppi Verdi

Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901)

Verdi is opera's titan, but his sacred choral output demands its own reckoning. His Messa da Requiem (1874) — written in honor of Italian writer Alessandro Manzoni — is described by musicologist David Rosen as "probably the most frequently performed major choral work composed after Mozart's Requiem." It is, frankly, operatic in the best possible way: theatrical, emotionally volcanic, and utterly gripping. His late collection Quattro pezzi sacri (1898) shows the influence of Palestrina and reveals a composer still exploring sacred vocal writing at the very close of his creative life. For choral singers, Verdi means the Requiem above all — and the Requiem is enough.

Learn more at: 

https://blog.carus-verlag.com/en/choral-works-in-focus/verdi-the-requiem-and-what-else/