Verdi's "Requiem" Symphony Orchestra

Description

Conducted by Leon Botstein, Music Director of The Orchestra Now and the American Symphony Orchestra Performed with members of the, Bard Conservatory Orchestra, the Bard College Chamber Singers, and the Bard Festival Chorale. James Bagwell, choral director Margaret Tigue, soprano, VAP ’20 Chloë Schaaf, mezzo-soprano, VAP ’19 Wei Wu, bass "Requiem" was written in memory of the Italian writer Giuseppe Verdi greatly admired who had a great influence on Italian Romanticism, Alessandro Manzoni. It received its premiere on the first anniversary of Manzoni’s death at the San Marco Church in Milan, conducted by Verdi himself. The powerful “Libera me” movement which draws the work to a close was originally composed by Verdi as part of an unsuccessful project he led to write "Massa Per of Rossini" with 12 other composers, in memory of Rossini shortly after his passing. After its premiere, the Requiem was quickly noticed and performed in concert halls around the world, which was generally unusual for religious music. April 6 at 8 pm April 7 at 2 pm