{ program notes premiere. Under the composer’ s baton, it was one of those all too rare artistic occasions when expectations are exceedingly high, with the work and performance great enough to meet them. Three days later, the Requiem was performed again, this time to the tumultuous applause the church premiere had denied, at Milan’ s La Scala opera house, site of many Verdi operatic triumphs. It then proceeded on a successful tour of European capitals.
But from the beginning, the Manzoni requiem was a controversial work. Too theatrical, said some. The famous German conductor and Brahms supporter, Hans von Bülow, initially dismissed it as Verdi’ s“ latest opera in ecclesiastical dress” and refused to hear it.
Von Bülow wasn’ t entirely wrong. The Messa da Requiem, Verdi’ s only largescale non-operatic work, really is a sacred opera. Its glory is its very theatricality.
Like two other composers of famous Requiems, Brahms and Berlioz, Verdi was an agnostic, and so, since he was too honest a man and artist, his Requiem does not portray what he could not himself believe. It is an often troubling setting, providing no false consolation, no answers. The composer elevates the“ Dies irae”(“ Day of Judgment”) portion of the mass to the center of his conception and gives it music of terrifying force. The emphasis throughout is on the fears of the living as they face the unknown region of death, not the joys awaiting the departed.
I. Requiem and Kyrie: The work begins almost inaudibly in the muted cellos, with the chorus murmuring“ Requiem” in broken phrases. As often happens in late Verdi works, the melody emerges in the orchestra, not the voices. Listen for the magical brightening effect of the chorus’ harmonic progression on“ lux”(“ light”), as A Minor is transformed into A Major. The middle portion of this opening section,“ Te decet hymnus,” features beautiful counterpoint, reminiscent of Palestrina, for unaccompanied chorus. After a return of the“ Requiem” music, the“ Kyrie” begins, introducing the soloists with bravura vocal writing befitting the grand operatic artists they are.
II. Dies Irae: Four hammer-blows launch the ferocious“ Dies irae” music, which dominates this section, casting its fiery glow over the entire Requiem. The chorus’ terrified cries as they envision this“ Day of Anger” are silenced by fanfares from eight trumpets, four onstage and four off, that swell into an eruption of the entire brass section(“ Tuba mirum”). Here Verdi’ s early exposure to village brass bands has been transmuted into one of the most electrifying passages of brass writing in the classical canon.
This large section subdivides into many highly contrasted, artfully balanced numbers for the soloists, as well as returns of the“ Dies irae” music. Here Verdi brings the drama down to the personal level, each individual’ s struggle with the fear of death and what may come thereafter. Then he gathers his forces together again for the concluding“ Lacrimosa,” introduced by the mezzo-soprano, with its sighing motives and anguished chromatically ascending phrases enhancing the poignantly simple melody. At the end, in a marvelously subtle use of harmony for dramatic effect, Verdi gives us an“ Amen” on an unexpectedly bright G-Major chord, then subsides to an exceedingly dark-colored B-flat Major close.
III. Offertorio: The“ Offertorio” provides quiet contrast in a lyrical movement for the solo quartet. At mid-point, the beautiful“ Hostias et preces”(“ A sacrifice of praise and prayer”) section is introduced by the tenor. This is framed by the two faster“ Quam olim Abrahae” sections, which Verdi, eschewing custom, chose not to set as a fugue. The movement has a lovely, haunting ending as the soprano rises to a dolcissimo high A-flat.
IV. Sanctus: Brass peals forth to open a fiery fugue for double chorus. In this compact, hot-blooded movement, the composer combines the“ Sanctus,”“ Osanna,” and“ Benedictus” texts, often set separately by other composers. His conception of God is not a gentle one – no mystery and awe here, instead virile, Italianate worship of fierce divinity.
V. Agnus Dei: After the fire of the“ Sanctus” comes the chaste, cool sound of the soprano and mezzo soloists singing— at first unaccompanied— a simple melody in C major and bare octaves. Verdi’ s ethereal writing for three flutes at the soloists’ third entrance is a moment to treasure.
VI. Lux Aeterna: In one of the most beautiful sections of the Requiem, Verdi spotlights his three lower-voiced soloists, saving his soprano for the last act. The mezzo’ s luminous pianissimo“ Lux aeterna” melody, with a halo of tremolo strings, contrasts with the bass’ s grim“ Requiem aeternam” theme, accompanied by low brass. These two moods battle gently, with the mezzo’ s ultimately dominating.
VII. Libera Me: The soprano soloist suddenly shatters the key and the serene mood of the preceding with her frantic recitative“ Save me, Lord, from eternal death.” The mood of terror has returned, and it brings back the“ Dies irae” music. Soprano and chorus then sing very softly what may be the most exquisite moment in the entire work,“ Requiem aeternam.” This culminates in a floating pppp high B-flat for the soloist, a moment audiences look forward to eagerly— and sopranos anticipate with butterflies in their stomachs.
Verdi had originally composed part of the“ Libera me” in 1869 for a multicomposer Requiem in memory of Rossini, and the vigorous choral fugue that follows, with the soprano cresting to a high C, is a survivor of that earlier movement. However, Verdi the agnostic ultimately chooses to close in an uncertain, questioning mood. The soprano and chorus mutter“ Libera me” on a unison middle C, which dies out over the darkest C-major orchestral chord imaginable. In the words of Giuseppina Verdi, an astute observer of her husband’ s work,“ They have all talked so much of the more, or less, religious spirit of this sacred music, of not having followed the style of Mozart, of Cherubini, etc. etc. I say that a man like Verdi must write like Verdi.”
Instrumentation: Three flutes( including piccolo), two oboes, two clarinets, four bassoons, four horns, eight trumpets( four offstage), three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, and strings.
Notes by Janet E. Bedell, Copyright © 2016
May – June 2016 | Overture 41