Mid-Season Masterworks

VERDI Requiem
Sunday, March 6th, 2011 at 3:30 pm
Cabell Hall Auditorium at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA

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VERDI Requiem
In 1874, the year of the premier of his Requiem, Giuseppe
Verdi had for thirty years been the dominant composer of
Italian opera, celebrated and adored by his countrymen. The
work has been hugely popular ever since its inception, although
not universally “approved,” being deemed too theatrical by
some. Passions run high in musical circles, and in Germany,
Verdi was on the short end of the Opera Wars. You either were
for Wagner or for Verdi, showing that silliness can crop up
anywhere at any time. Conductor Hans von Bülow wrote a
scathing review, dismissing the work as “an opera in
ecclesiastical costume,” whereupon Brahms, after reading the
score, reportedly said: “Bulow has disgraced himself for all
time. Only a genius could write such a work.” Controversy
aside, this monumental and stunning creation will come to
Cabell Hall in March, filling our ears and hearts with some of the
most intense and dramatic music ever written.

 For more information, call 434.244.8444.

Verdi Requiem Links:

1. "Dies Irae" conducted by Zubin Meta

2. Wikipedia information

3. Antonio Pappano, conductor, discusses rehearsals and performance

4. "Dies Irae" conducted by Toscanini, a contemporary of Verdi

Directions and Parking for UVA's Cabell Hall