Gianandrea Noseda conducts Verdi's Requiem – With Erika Grimaldi, Daniela Barcellona, Francesco Meli and Michele Pertusi
Opening concert of the London Symphony Orchestra
Cast
Erika Grimaldi — Soprano
Daniela Barcellona — Mezzo-soprano
Francesco Meli — Tenor
Michele Pertusi — Baritone
London Symphony Chorus
Simon Halsey — Chorus master
Program notes
Gianandrea Noseda gathers an outstanding cast of Italian opera stars for the season opening concert of the London Symphony Orchestra. They perform an essential work of the Italian repertoire: Verdi's Messa da Requiem. A concert to watch live from London on medici.tv!
Widely recognized as one of the leading conductors of his generation, Gianandrea Noseda is the International Opera Awards Conductor of the year 2016 and the Musical America's Conductor of the year 2015. For his first concert as Principal Guest Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, the milanese Maestro conducts Verdi's Requiem, a piece he masters perfectly. He launches the season in style, gathering the four opera Italian stars Erika Grimaldi (soprano), Daniela Barcellona (mezzo-soprano), Francesco Meli (tenor) and Michele Pertusi (baritone), joined by the London Symphony Chorus and its Chorus Master Simon Halsey.
Performed for the first time in 1874, on the first anniversary of Manzoni's death, Verdi's Requiem shows the composer's mastery of choral writing. His writing for the four vocal soloists is both personal and virtuoso. Few pieces in the repertoire offer as much drama as this work. After hearing it for the first time, Brahms said: "Only a genius could write something like this."
