Verdi's Requiem-Tickets Available Door

at St. Peter's Catholic Church, 301 Machleary Street, Nanaimo

Soloists: Betty Allyson, Anne Relyea , Benjamin Butterfield, Gary Relyea

Verdi’s celebrated Requiem has been described as a monumental, imaginative and powerfully theatrical work. He wrote it in 1873 to honour Alessandro Manzoni, Italy’s most famous 19th century author, poet and humanist, so it is often called the Manzoni Requiem. Verdi himself conducted its premiere performance on the first anniversary of Manzoni’s death in 1874.

It is probably the most frequently performed major choral work composed since Mozart’s Requiem. It was reportedly performed 16 times between 1943 and 1944 by prisoners in the Nazi concentration camp of Theresienstadt.

What accounts for the tremendous popularity of this requiem? Why do singers, musicians and audiences love the work? Because even though it is a setting of the Roman Catholic mass for the dead, it is filled with Verdi’s wonderful, soaring melodies, great dramatic and dynamic flair, thrilling orchestral writing and gloriously rich harmonies. Together these convey the full range of human emotions - terror, sadness, joy and consolation – and have led to it being called Verdi’s best opera.

Nanaimo audiences will be able to hear this iconic work for the first time in the city on Friday, May 4th, 7:30 p.m. in St. Peter’s Catholic church. Performers include the combined Malaspina and Cowichan Consort choirs, guest soloists Gary Relyea bass, Benjamin Butterfield, tenor, Betty Allyson soprano, and Anne Relyea mezzo-soprano with the Cowichan Consort orchestra under the direction of Robert Mari.

www.malaspinachoir.com

Tickets on sale 11:00am Thursday March 1

TICKETS: Adults - $25 / under 25's -$10 / eyeGo $5 / children under 12 - free