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Verdis Requiem in Florence


Giuseppe Verdis Requiem

Zubin Mehta, conducting Verdis Requiem in Florence.Giuseppe Verdi: MESSA DA REQUIEM

Florence, Italy, Teatro Comunale, 2013 may 16th

Conductor Zubin Mehta

Soprano, Julianna Di Giacomo. Mezzosoprano, Ekaterina Gubanova, Tenore, Giorgio Berrugi. Basso, René Pape.

Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Maestro del Coro, Lorenzo Fratini.

Review by Fabio Bardelli

 FLORENCE: Giuseppe Verdi wrote his Messa da Requiem in 1873-1874 in the occasion of the death of the Italian writer Alessandro Manzoni, with whom the musician shared the ideals of the Italian Risorgimento and to whom he was bound by friendship and great admiration. The composition began paradoxically from a previous Messa, conceived in occasion of the death of Gioacchino Rossini, infact in 1868-1869 many musicians, and among them also Verdi, composed some parts of a funeral mass to commemorate the Swan of Pesaro who had died some months before, and Verdi wrote Libera me Domine.

Beginning from this score, and using some of its themes also in other sections of the Messa da Requiem, Verdi wrote one of his more eminent and dramatic compositions, his own Requiem, that is a music form almost topical for each composer beginning some centuries ago, having for theme Man in front of the mistery of Death and of Transcendental. Obviously Verdi develops these themes in a very personal way, as a sceptical towards religion and even a secular, with his dramatic language folding to very intimate atmospheres and language subtilities, such as a dialogue of the Man with himself in front of misteries greater than himself.

The monumental composition is based on the lyturgycal text, and assignes the various “musical numbers” among the four vocal soloists and chorus, that in this score has a great part.

Conductor Zubin Mehta interprets in an excellent way this composition, showing a pondered Requiem, sometimes even reflective. He seems not interested only to outward appearance of some pages, but digs up in the orchestral texture finding moving colours and refined athmospheres. The Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and its Chorus (leaded by Lorenzo Fratini), in an excellent night, are really very well.

The vocal quartet was rather omogeneous. Soprano Julianna Di Giacomo has an interesting voice, she has a good way to sing and to phrase, she shows only some inequalities in the various registers and some little problems of tuning.

Mezzo Ekaterina Gubanova, that we heard some days ago in Don Carlo in Florence as Eboli, has a beautiful and malleable voice, but the vocal texture of Verdi’s Requiem is sometimes too deep for her voice, that is really beautiful and well turned in the middle register.

Tenor Giorgio Berrugi probably hasn’t a great volume of voice so to go beyond always Mehta’s orchestra, but in his pages as a soloist is more than appreciable.

Bass René Pape shows his voice, technique and personality as an interpreter, with a beutiful impressing phrasing.

A real triumph crowns the concert, with neverending applause from the audience that filled up the House

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. It was also a real love proof of the audience for its own Theater that is now in very great financial difficulties.

Review by Fabio Bardelli

 

Please enjoy our reviews with Ekaterina Gubanova:

In Verdis Requiem with Orchestra National de France conducted by Daniele Gatti athttp://www.kulturkompasset.com/2010/10/great-verdi-requiem/

In Oberto from Paris, Theatre des Champs Elysees at: http://www.kulturkompasset.com/2011/11/oberto-great-experience-in-paris/

In Hoffmanns Tales at Opera Bastille, Paris: http://www.kulturkompasset.com/2010/05/amusing-and-well-sung-hoffman-at-bastille/

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