Prom 13: Sunday 24th July: Verdi Requiem

[Prommer]

And FF is a star... Not sure if he was not well, just employing Method skills throughout...or very devout given some of the gestures.

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

And FF is a star... Not sure if he was not well, just employing Method skills throughout...or very devout given some of the gestures.

Very much the latter, so I'm told...

[makropulos]

Well I found that incredibly moving. Aside from a few reservations about the mezzo and the tenor soloists, there was an extraordinary concentration about the whole performance - I very much agree with Prommer's comments about Bychkov (who just gets better and better) and the fabulous Furlanetto. Poplavskaya was tremendously involving too.

[Alf-Prufrock]

In some of his early scores Verdi certainly wrote his lower brass part for a cimbasso, though I do not know if he did so in the Requiem. However, I have been a long-time advocate of the cimbasso. It has such a distinctive sound in the bass - well, a trombone-like sound at least. Tubby the tuba it ain't. Just listen to the clarity it gave the brass this evening. Impact, crispness, punch.

I suppose it should only be employed in Italian works of the nineteenth century (do others know of its use outside Italy?) But I would welcome it in large areas of repertoire.

[David Underdown]

However, I have been a long-time advocate of the cimbasso. It has such a distinctive sound in the bass - well, a trombone-like sound at least. Tubby the tuba it ain't. Just listen to the clarity it gave the brass this evening. Impact, crispness, punch.

It's basically a valved contrabass trombone, so it's not really surprising that's what it sounds like! I have, I think, seen it argued that Verdi would actually have expected valve trombones in general, would certainly make some of the Dies Irae passages easier to play

[makropulos]

It's basically a valved contrabass trombone, so it's not really surprising that's what it sounds like! I have, I think, seen it argued that Verdi would actually have expected valve trombones in general, would certainly make some of the Dies Irae passages easier to play

Yes. It's well documented (rather than argued) that when Verdi conducted the Requiem he had valve trombones - and they were the norm in Italy at the time.

Incidentally, it's amusing to note that Verdi's performances usually included an interval after the Dies Irae, and often also included encores (!)

[Lateralthinking1]

Interesting interview with Calleja on R4's Front Row this evening.

[bluestateprommer]

For those interested:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i-p659VMCc

[Chris Newman]

bluestateprommer,
Thank you so much for putting this Verdi Requiem on the board. I have just listened/watched this perfomace again. I have witnessed wonderful live performances conducted by Giulini, Abbado, Jiri Kout, Colin Davis, Mario Rossi, Georg Solti and others, as well as several duffers. I have sung (in choirs) in about a dozen performances but the more I think about this performance I think it really is up with Giulini and the greatest I have ever experienced. I was so glad I went. The silence at the end said it all. When Calleja sang the Hostias everyone in the orchestra was in tears.
Many thanks
Chris.

[DracoM]

Just listening now. One of those occasions when everyone seems to have caught fire. Agree about Calleja's singing. And some very fine playing by the BBCSO too.