Requiem (Verdi). The most famous operas in the world: Requiem (Messa da Requiem), J.

: Among the composer’s major works, this is the only work that is not an opera. And yet he can be considered the exception that confirms the rule: going beyond the boundaries of his favorite genre, the outstanding opera composer remained true to himself.

The idea of a funeral mass arose in 1868, when he died. I couldn’t call him my close friend, but I paid tribute to his talent and perceived his death as a heavy loss for the art of music. The composer has the idea to honor the memory with a collective creation, distributing twelve parts of the Requiem among the most famous composers of Italy (although all of them are now forgotten). The funeral mass was planned to be performed in Bologna, where he studied, and then the sealed score was to be deposited in the archives, thereby eliminating the possibility of speculation. wanted special solemnity, so he included in it the part of Libera me, which is often omitted - it was this that he received in accordance with the lot.

The plan was not translated into reality: the performance planned for the anniversary of the death did not take place, the conductor was to blame for this (the collective work was presented to the public only in 1988 as part of the festival in Stuttgart). By the next anniversary, the composer decided to create all the parts of the Requiem himself and even wrote two of them, but soon lost interest in this idea, saying that there were plenty of funeral masses, and there was no point in adding another one to them.

In the same year, when the idea of the funeral mass arose, he personally met Alessandro Manzoni. He idolized this writer from his youth, calling him “the glory of Italy” and “a holy man.” The composer took the death of Manzoni in 1873 so hard that he did not even find the strength to go to Milan for the funeral. Having decided to erect a “musical monument” to the poet, he returns to the idea of the Requiem.

Initially, the composer intended to focus on the Requiem created by Luigi Cherubini - a purely choral work, without soloists, with a modest orchestra. However, in the process of creating the mass, everything changed: a mixed choir, four soloists and a large symphony orchestra were used. He abandoned the division into twelve numbers and divided the text into seven parts.

In the second half of the 19th century, the creation of requiems intended for concert performance, inappropriate for liturgical practice, was quite common for composers, but Verdi's Requiem stood out even against this background. Turning to the genre of the funeral mass, he remained an opera composer. His Requiem contains heroism, passion, lyricism, and the depth of human suffering - in a word, everything that is in his operas. Especially many similarities can be seen with “”, on which he worked simultaneously with the mass. The forms of numbers used by the composer are related to opera - arioso, duets, quartets, trios; the cantilena, typical of Italian opera, is reminiscent of musical theater.

In the first part - Requiem– the hidden “whisper” of the choir is contrasted with an enlightened quartet. In the most extensive second part - Dies irae– several episodes stand out. The similarity with opera is especially strong here; the conflict is clearly expressed. The menacing image of the "Day of Wrath" is followed by a roll call of trumpets off stage and in the orchestra ( Tuba mirum), after which the bass solo sounds especially dark. Between two beautiful and mournful lyrical episodes - a mezzo-soprano aria Liber scriptus and terzetto Quid– the menacing choral theme returns Dies irae. Next episode – Rex tremendae– a dialogue between pleading soloists and a menacing choir, followed by lyrical fragments – a female duet Recordare, tenor arioso Ingemisco, mournful bass aria Confutatis. Comes back again Dies irae in abbreviation, in contrast, a mournful quartet with a choir sounds Lacrimosa.

This dramatic movement is followed by lighter ones: a contemplative quartet Offertorium, jubilant fugue Sanctus, female duet Agnus Dei in the spirit of an ancient chant. The figurative structure of the first movement returns in terzetto Lux aeterna. Expanded ending - Libera me– sums up the musical development: here the theme arises again Dies irae, the central episode (solo soprano and choir without orchestra) echoes the figurative structure of the first part, and the final fugue - with Agnus Dei. The final fugue breaks off, and the last phrases of the Requiem are intoned almost in a whisper.

As the author planned, the Requiem was first performed on the anniversary of Manzoni's death in Milan's San Marco Cathedral. This work was never performed in church again. Three days later the performance took place at La Scala, which was a great success.

Musical Seasons

Cast: soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, bass, choir, orchestra.

History of creation

Rossini died on November 13, 1868. “Although I did not have a very close friendship with him, I mourn with everyone the loss of this great artist,” wrote Verdi. - A great name has died out in the world! This name is the most popular in our era, the fame is the widest - and this was the glory of Italy!”

Less than four days later, Verdi presented an elaborate project to perpetuate his memory: “I would propose to the most respected Italian composers ... to unite for the purpose of writing a funeral mass to be performed on the anniversary of Rossini's death ... This requiem should be performed in the Church of San Petronio in the city of Bologna, the true musical birthplace of Rossini. This requiem should not have become a subject of curiosity or speculation: immediately after its performance, seals would have been placed on it, and it would have been deposited in the archives of the Bologna Musical Lyceum so that no one could ever get it from there...”

The 12 parts were distributed by lot among 12 composers (alas, none of the names survived their time). Verdi got the last one, Libera me, which is set to music only on especially solemn occasions (requiems usually end with the Agnus Dei part). Verdi insisted on the special solemnity of the premiere: the performance should take place in Bologna precisely on the first anniversary of Rossini's death. However, this did not happen due to the conductor’s fault, and the composer broke off friendly relations with him that lasted 20 years. A year later, Verdi announced that he had decided to compose the entire requiem himself, and by that time he had already created the first 2 parts.

In 1868, Verdi had a long-awaited meeting with another, no less famous, contemporary - the writer Alessandro Manzoni, whose novel “The Betrothed” he read as a 16-year-old boy. The composer idolized Manzoni, called him a Great Poet, a Great Citizen, a Holy Man, the Glory of Italy, and considered the portrait of Manzoni sent to him with a handwritten inscription to be the most precious relic. “... In the presence of Manzoni, I feel so small (and in general I am as proud as Lucifer),” wrote Verdi, “that I can never, or almost never, say a word.” Having learned of his death on May 22, 1873, Verdi did not go to Milan (“I don’t have the courage to attend his funeral”), but the very next day he decided to create a grandiose monument to “our Saint” - it will be a requiem, which the best singers will be performed in Milan on the anniversary of Manzoni's death.

Abandoning the originally conceived traditional 12 parts (for the poetic translation made by A. Maikov, see the article on Mozart’s Requiem), Verdi divided the text of the Catholic funeral mass into 7 parts, of which the most grandiose, the 2nd, in turn breaks up into 9 episodes. The work proceeded quickly; in August, Verdi already sent an invitation to the singer to participate in the premiere. It took place on the first anniversary of Manzoni's death, May 22, 1874 in Milan, in the Cathedral of San Marco under the direction of Verdi, and 3 days later at La Scala and was a huge success.

Music

The Requiem is close in style to Verdi's late operas, primarily Aida, which was created at the same time. This especially applies to the numerous ariosos and ensembles - duets, terzets, quartets - with a typically Italian operatic cantilena. The large orchestra not only accompanies the singers, but also paints colorful pictures.

This is the 2nd part, Dies Irae (The Day will appear in angry force), built on the succession of acutely conflicting episodes of the Last Judgment, full of confusion, horror, and prayer. It opens with visual whirlwinds of death (choir and orchestra), which give way to the menacing roll calls of 4 trumpets behind the stage and in the orchestra Tuba mirum (The trumpet will sound for us). Three lyrical episodes follow one after another: the bright, calm female duet Recordare (Oh remember, Jesus), the completely operatic-sounding arioso of the tenor Ingemisco (I sigh, like a sinner) and the majestic mournful bass solo Confutatis (Judgment pronounced to the disgraced). The quartet with choir Lacrimosa (Tearful this day will come), which concludes the 2nd part, is distinguished by a soulful melody of amazing beauty, rare even in such a melodist as Verdi. A different character is inherent in the 4th part, Sanctus (Holy). This brilliant fugue for double choir, the embodiment of the creative, jubilant power of life, opens with a solo of 4 trumpets. The 5th movement, Agnus Dei (Lamb of God), is noted for its originality - a restrained, detached duet of soprano and mezzo-soprano, variations in the old style on an unusual theme presented in an octave without accompaniment in the spirit of medieval church chant.

A. Koenigsberg

In parallel with Aida, Verdi worked on another major work, which was not intended for the theater. At the turn of 1860-1870, Verdi experienced a lot of personal grief: his father, Barezzi, and his close friend and collaborator-librettist Francesco Piave died one after another. The death of Rossini in 1868 and the writer Manzoni in 1873 completes the sad list. Impressed by the death of close friends, Verdi creates a Requiem for four soloists, choir and orchestra.

He turns to traditional forms of Catholic funeral mass, but imbues them with new content. The range of musical images of the Requiem is close to Aida. The same courageous heroism, angry protest, deep suffering, enlightened lyricism and a passionate dream of happiness are embodied here. The techniques of musical development that give the Requiem the features of operatic expressiveness are also related. (It is characteristic that, with the exception of the premiere in 1874, Verdi’s Requiem during the composer’s lifetime was given not in church, but in theater and concert halls.). Many of his melodies sound like soulful folk tunes, an example of which is Lacrimosa:

The Requiem has seven parts. Tragic prologue ( Requiem e Kyrie) is replaced by pictures of the Last Judgment ( Dies irae). This is the main, most conflicting, widely developed part. It contains sharp comparisons of paintings that evoke feelings of confusion and horror. Only in the end does peace come Lacrimosa). The third part ( Offertorium) - an intermezzo of a decorative and contemplative plan, with which contrasts the expression of strength, the creative power of life in No. 4 - a giant double fugue ( Sanctus). The next two parts ( Agnus Dei, Lux aeterna), whose music is expressed in gentle, pastel colors, represent the lyrical center of the work. The final ( Libera me) performs the figurative-semantic function of reprise - here there are also sudden changes in paintings, where images and Dies irae, and the first number; The fugue, full of determination and strong-willed efforts, echoes No. 4. The final explosion of despair ends abruptly and - as if the breath had been stopped - the Requiem ends with an ominous whisper.

The canonical parts of the Requiem are perceived as a series of solo arias, choral episodes, dramatic finales, and stunning orchestral solutions. In short, another story told in the language of the great Verdi.

The production certainly promised to be interesting. The tension of the premiere evening with the abundance of media representatives was slightly felt. The dress rehearsal for Requiem was also moved from noon to 5 p.m. Thus, the Mariinsky troupe experienced a multi-hour premiere marathon that day. Upon entering the hall, spectators were able to see Daniele Finze Pasca, seated on one of the banquettes under the guns of several cameras. His face, along with slight fatigue, radiated peace and calm. In general, the atmosphere was conducive to listening and listening to something new and unusual.

So, what are the features of this director's concept?

In his interview with Daniela Finze, Pasca reflects on how the Requiem is like a prayer, through which the choir and soloists have the opportunity to reflect on the meaning of human life. At the same time, the pictures that appear on the stage are not descriptive. They are called upon to build a dialogue between the human soul and its idea of God.

This theme, on the one hand, is well known to each of us, including from the works of world opera classics, and on the other hand, it reminds us of the frightening fact of the frailty of human existence - although in some cultures it is customary to see off people on their last journey with a smile. The more crisis the situation develops in the world, the more humanity tries to find ways to pacify and enlighten what is called the soul in spiritual texts. To a certain extent, our today's hero, Daniele Finzi Pasca, continues this line of thought. This is how he reveals the topic of a brighter perception of death in one of his interviews:

“It seems to me that often in attempts to talk about life, about life and death, dark colors are chosen. Witnessing drama does not necessarily mean seeing this drama in bloody tones. There is always room for something bright, luminous. I tell stories that are always tragic, but I try to do it with ease. This is a necessity, humanity needs it.”

How was this theme conveyed on stage? The emptiness of the stage begins to be filled by angels appearing directly from the hall, a blindfolded choir (as a kind of symbol of distance from God, the inability to feel His will), symbolizing representatives of various classes of the first half of the 20th century; finally, a child floating on a ball and observing people’s reactions, their ideas about God’s judgment.

Some of the scenic effects were absolutely stunning. In “Sanctus”, at the level of “heaven”, a certain three-dimensional space was created where the angels were, they lived their lives there, moved in an atmosphere of light and joy. In the final episode of the Agnus Dei part, the image of another world was presented in the form of bizarre mirrors, giving an incredible effect to the very ability of a person to see and feel the spiritual world. The theme of the “reflected world” was also stated in “Recordare”, where angels are depicted dancing, and in “Lux aeterna” even moving on bicycles under the light of spotlights. In “Ingemisco” the mirrors have an exaggerated appearance, the stage is actually bare. Only the tenor solo cries “I sigh like a criminal: guilt stains my face. Spare the one who prays, O God.”

The symbolism of the red color was highlighted separately. The choir appears on stage blindfolded. The eyes are covered with red bandages. Here's what the director himself says about this idea:

“Up until “Offertorio” (“Offering of Gifts”) the choir’s eyes are blindfolded, they do not even see the light they are holding in their hands. But already on “Lacrymosa” (“That Tearful Day”) they begin to realize that they are surrounded by angels who are trying to calm them down.”

The “red” theme, as a symbol of the Day of Judgment, also appears in the “Liber scriptus” section, where the quartet of soloists appears against a background of the corresponding color. Finally, the central symbol of “Requiem” - the image of a child (performed by Alisa Berdichevskaya) hanging on a ball and watching what is happening - is designed in white and red tones. This unearthly, “suspended” state is maximally prolonged in the production and is presented in two numbers “Confutatis” and “Offertorius”. Finally, in the final “Libera me” the idea of sinfulness and retribution is transformed into “eternal light”, which is gradually saturated with blue shades.

The topic of solo performance should also be covered with director's remarks. On the one hand, the soloists personify certain enlightened souls:

“They emerge from the mass of the choir, but they have clearer and stronger voices. And they belong to those souls who have already removed the veil from their eyes, who quickly learn to see, perhaps understand that there is no need to be so afraid of secrets.”

On the other hand, in Requiem there are no stage images as such. As the director says, “There are simply amazing images, an attempt to enter into an easy, bright dialogue with the drama that is sung about in the Requiem.”

That evening, the director's and actors' plans were realized by soloists Victoria Yastrebova (soprano), Zlata Bulycheva (mezzo-soprano), Sergei Semishkur (tenor), Ilya Bannik (bass). Maestro Valery Gergiev is at the conductor's stand.

The first part featured the vocal quartet “Kyrie eleison, christe eleison”, setting up the idea of enlightenment. After the ominous “Dies Irae” and the tutti sounds of the brass section, we dive into the bass solo “Tuba mirum spargens sonum”. His solo passages are filled with drama: “What awe there will be when the judge comes and judges everything truthfully.”

The expressiveness of the lower register continued in the mezzo-soprano solo of the next movement, “Liber scriptus proferetur.” The part sounded rich, deep, and the intense descending intonations of the harmonic minor were sharpened in the middle. The excited passages of the violins, as if scurrying around in one place, echoed the anxious intonations of the choir and soloists.

The next part, “Quid sum miser,” was painted in calmer, meditative tones. Against the background of the bassoons, a soprano solo sounded, now breaking through to the enlightened major, then going back into the minor sphere. The piercing highs of the soloist and trio without orchestral accompaniment completed this episode of the Requiem.

In the “Salva me” section, Verdi’s favorite descending tertian moves sounded, colored by subdominant harmonies. The choir began speaking, then gradually the bass, soprano, mezzo-soprano and tenor joined in. We have already seen a similar juxtaposition of voices and chorus in “Hades” in the episode where the theme of the priests is contrasted with the pleas for the life of the main characters.

The enlightened movement “Recordare” in F major delighted with rich mezzo-soprano solos. This solo was perceived completely like an opera aria, all the signs were there - cantilena, rich breathing and aspiration techniques, an abundance of vocal pauses, phrasing. Also highlighted was the brilliant cadenza performed by the two sopranos “Ante diem rationis”.

Next, we first became acquainted with the solo part of the tenor “Ingemisco”, his expressive second intonations at a slow tempo were brightly combined with the upper register and were complemented by a solo trumpet in the orchestra. The bass solo in “Confutatis” was emphasized by recitative intonations, which were then picked up by the returning theme from “Dies Irae”.

The solo quartet in “Offertorio” made a breakthrough into suspended intonations, leading as if to nowhere, to another space. The orchestra's string section filled the range of the score as much as possible - from the “humming” lows to the “screaming” highs.

Through the “Hostias” part, colored with vocal melismatics and light intonations, we move towards the solemn choral number “Sanctus”. Conducting the voices in a dialogical manner led us to a final conversation about the meaning of life. The vocal themes in the “Agnus Dei” (soprano and mezzo-soprano solos) are presented in grace notes, like the transfigured lover theme from Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique. But the intonations here had a light tragic tint.

In “Lux aeterna” the dramatic intonations of the solo trio became even more condensed. The final fugue “Libera me” took place in stretta form, as if summarizing all the ideas of the work presented earlier. The lonely, soulful soprano solo was a symbol of the human soul, its silent conversation with the Almighty, the state of prayer. In Bach's enlightened manner, this greatest work ends in C major. An hour and a half of the performance passed in one breath.

Of course, the version by director Daniele Finzi Pasca, already beloved by the Russian public, is worthy of becoming a full-fledged participant in the stage repertoire of the Mariinsky Theater. After all, we need to think about the meaning of human life not only in churches, mosques and synagogues. According to the director, “old theaters, like ships, are as close as possible to Paradise.”

: The death of Gioachino Rossini prompted Verdi to approach "the most respected Italian composers" (now forgotten) with a proposal to unite to write a funeral mass for the anniversary of the composer's death (see Mass for Rossini). By lot, Verdi got the final part, most often omitted by composers - Libera me. The requiem was composed by November 1869, but was not performed.

Verdi later decided to write his own Requiem for Rossini; the work dragged on, and the impetus for its speedy completion - by that time the composer had already written several parts - was the death of the famous writer Alessandro Manzoni (May 22, 1873), whom Verdi admired from a young age, considered him “a model of virtue and patriotism” .

Verdi completed work on the Requiem on April 10, 1874. The first performance took place on the anniversary of Manzoni's death, May 22 of the same year, in Milan's St. Mark's Cathedral; The author himself stood at the conductor's stand. A few days later, the Requiem was performed with great success at La Scala; just as successfully in 1875, under the direction of the author, the premieres took place in Paris, London and Vienna, and then in Munich, St. Petersburg...

Composition

According to the composer himself, he initially took as a model the Requiem in C minor by Luigi Cherubini, a choral work, without soloists, in which the orchestra as a whole is assigned a rather modest role - however, in the process of work, Verdi moved far from this sample: in his Requiem, in addition to the large a four-voice choir and a full-fledged symphony orchestra, there are four soloists - soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor and bass. In style, with numerous ariosos and ensembles - duets, terzettas and quartets - with a truly Italian operatic cantilena, Verdi's Requiem is more reminiscent of his later operas, especially Aida, than the work of Cherubini and his other predecessors. The role of the orchestra in this Requiem goes far beyond mere accompaniment.

Perhaps because the death of Manzoni was a personal loss for Verdi, he created a deeply dramatic work, with the acuity of emotions inherent in romanticism, sharply different even from his own, written later, “Four Spiritual Pieces”, designed in a strict, quite “church” style . In the Requiem this style is only reminiscent of the Agnus dei.

Verdi wrote his Requiem to the canonical Latin text, while in the Sequence before its last part - Lacrimosa, Verdi repeats the first part - Dies irae, a terrifying picture of the Day of Judgment, and again Dies irae sounds in the final part - Libera me; thus, the theme of the Last Judgment runs through the entire Requiem, which is not provided for by the canon; as musicologists believe, for Verdi this is not the Day of Judgment as such, but the merciless invasion of death, cutting off the lyrical, peaceful parts of the Requiem, into which the composer invested all his melodic gift.

The “operatic quality” of this Requiem, already at the first performances, caused controversy that continues to this day: how did the inclusion of operatic elements affect the liturgical style of the work - did it distort or improve it? .

Requiem structure

1. Requiem and Kyrie(quartet of soloists, choir)

2. Sequentia

Dies irae(choir) Tuba Mirum(bass and choir) Mors stupebit(bass and choir) Liber Scriptus, (mezzo-soprano and choir) Quid sum miser(soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor) Rex tremendae(soloists, choir) Recordare(soprano, mezzo-soprano) Ingemisco(tenor) Confutatis(bass and choir) Lacrymosa(soloists and choir)

3. Offertorium(soloists)

4. Sanctus(double choir)

5. Agnus Dei(soprano, mezzo-soprano and choir)

6. Lux Aeterna(mezzo-soprano, tenor, bass)

7. Libera Me(soprano and choir)

Concert fate

In Europe, Verdi's Requiem won audiences immediately; According to eyewitnesses, he was applauded vigorously, demanding repetition of individual numbers. At the same time, outside of Italy, the attitude towards the Requiem in many countries was, and partly remains, ambivalent: it is perceived as a work of the operatic genre rather than a spiritual one, and is performed as an outstanding musical drama; to the point that Requiem, like an opera, is divided into “act one” and “act two.” According to critics, so far only the best Italian conductors - primarily Arturo Toscanini (who made the first recordings of the Requiem back in 1938: March 4 in New York and May 27 in London, with the BBC orchestra), and Carlo Maria Giulini - have managed to fill Verdi's composition with a religious feeling, to perform it precisely as a funeral mass, albeit colored by personal experiences.

Be that as it may, along with W. A. Mozart's Requiem, Verdi's Requiem is one of the most performed works of this genre.

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Notes

Excerpt characterizing the Requiem (Verdi)

Harold, despite such sizzling, hellish heat, almost suffocating, “honestly suffered” in his red-hot knightly armor, mentally cursing the crazy heat (and immediately asking forgiveness from the “merciful” Lord, to whom he has been so faithful and sincere for so many years served)... Hot sweat, greatly irritating, poured from him like a hail, and, covering his eyes, heartlessly spoiled the quickly fleeting minutes of their next “last” farewell... Apparently, the knight was going somewhere very far away, because his dear lady's face was very sad, despite the fact that she honestly tried her best to hide it...
“This is the last time, my caress... I promise you, this is truly the last time,” the knight said with difficulty, affectionately touching her tender cheek.
I heard the conversation mentally, but there was a strange feeling of someone else’s speech. I understood the words perfectly, and yet I knew that they spoke some other language.
“I’ll never see you again...” the woman whispered through her tears. - Never again...
For some reason, the boy did not react in any way to either his father’s imminent departure or his farewell to his mother. He calmly continued to play, not paying any attention to the adults, as if it had nothing to do with him. This surprised me a little, but I did not dare to ask anything, but simply watched what would happen next.
- Won't you say goodbye to me? – turning to him, the knight asked.
The boy, without raising his eyes, shook his head negatively.
“Leave him, he’s just angry with you...” the woman asked sadly. “He also believed in you that you wouldn’t leave him alone again.”
The knight nodded and, climbing onto his huge horse, galloped down the narrow street without looking back, very soon disappearing around the first bend. And the beautiful lady sadly looked after him, and her soul was ready to run... crawl... fly after him, no matter where, just to see him again, at least for a moment, at least for a short moment to hear!.. But she knew. that this would not happen, that she would remain where she stood, and that, by the capricious whim of fate, she would never see or hug her Harold again... Large, heavy tears rolled down her pale, instantly haggard cheeks and sparkling drops disappeared into the dusty ground...
“God save him...” the woman whispered bitterly. - I will never see him... never again... help him, Lord...
She stood motionless, like a mournful Madonna, not seeing or hearing anything around, and the blond baby huddled at her feet, now revealing all his sadness and looking with longing to where, instead of his beloved dad, only the empty dusty road gleamed lonely white.. ...
“How could I not say goodbye to you, my caress?” suddenly a quiet, sad voice sounded nearby.
Harold looked at his sweet and sad wife without stopping, and a mortal melancholy, which seemed impossible to wash away even with a waterfall of tears, splashed in his blue eyes... But he looked like a very strong and courageous man, who, most likely , it was not so easy to shed tears...
- No need! Well, no need to be sad! – little Stella stroked his huge hand with her fragile fingers. - You see how much they loved you?.. Well, do you want us not to watch anymore? You've seen this many times already!..
The picture disappeared... I looked at Stella in surprise, but before I had time to say anything, I found myself in another “episode” of this alien life, which had touched my soul so deeply.
An unusually bright, cheerful, pink dawn, strewn with diamond drops of dew, woke up. The sky flared up for a moment, painting the edges of curly, fair-haired clouds with a scarlet glow, and immediately it became very light - it was an early, unusually fresh morning. On the terrace of an already familiar house, in the cool shade of a large tree, three of us were sitting - the knight Harold, already familiar to us, and his friendly little family. The woman looked amazingly beautiful and completely happy, like the same morning dawn... Smiling tenderly, she said something to her husband, sometimes gently touching his hand. And he, completely relaxed, quietly rocked his sleepy, disheveled little son on his lap, and, happily sipping a gently pink, “sweating” drink, from time to time lazily answered some questions, apparently already familiar to him, from his lovely wife. ..
The air was “ringing” like the morning and surprisingly clean. The small, neat garden breathed freshness, moisture and the smell of lemons; His chest was bursting with the fullness of the intoxicatingly clean air flowing straight into his lungs. Harold wanted to mentally “fly up” from the quiet happiness that filled his tired, tormented soul!... He listened to the newly awakened birds singing in thin voices, saw the beautiful face of his smiling wife, and it seemed that nothing in the world could disturb or take away he has this wonderful moment of bright joy and peace of his little happy family...
To my surprise, this idyllic picture was suddenly separated from Stella and me by a glowing blue “wall,” leaving Knight Harold alone with his happiness. And he, forgetting about everything in the world, with all his soul “absorbed” these wonderful and so dear moments to him, without even noticing that he was left alone...
“Well, let him watch this,” Stella whispered quietly. – And I’ll show you what happened next...
The wonderful vision of quiet family happiness disappeared... and in its place another one appeared, cruel and frightening, not promising anything good, much less a happy ending..... Verdi "Requiem"

Verdi "Requiem"

“Requiem” by Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) is the only major work of this outstanding Italian composer written not in the operatic genre. It has gone down in music history as the most theatrical embodiment of a traditional church funeral service.

What is a requiem?

A requiem is a multi-part funeral choral work, usually with the participation of soloists, accompanied by an orchestra. In general, a requiem (Latin Requiem, “(for) repose”) is a service in Catholic and Lutheran churches. It is called after the initial word of the introit (entrance chant) “Requiemaeternamdonaeis, Domine” (“Grant to them eternal rest, O Lord”). At first it was performed only in churches during services, but then composers began to write requiems based on non-canonical texts, and soon the requiem turned into an independent concert work. In Soviet music, the name “Requiem” is given to some vocal and symphonic works with Russian text, dedicated to the memory of national heroes (for example, D. Kabalevsky’s Requiem to the words of R. Rozhdestvensky).

Verdi completed his Requiem in the spring of 1874, several years after Aida. “Requiem” had a long history of creation and perpetuated the memory of the composer’s great compatriots.

The original plan was associated with the name of Rossini, who died on November 13, 1868. “Although I did not have a very close friendship with him, I mourn with everyone the loss of this great artist,” wrote Verdi. “A great name has died out in the world!” This was the most popular name in our era, the widest fame - and this was the glory of Italy!” Just four days after Rossini's death, Verdi proposes an elaborate project to perpetuate his memory: “I would propose to the most respected Italian composers ... to unite for the purpose of writing a funeral mass, which would be performed on the anniversary of Rossini’s death. ...This requiem should have been performed in the Church of San Petronio in the city of Bologna, the true musical homeland of Rossini. ...It will be necessary to create a commission of intelligent people in order to organize this performance, and above all in order to select composers, distribute parts of the requiem between them and streamline the general form of this entire work. This essay... will have to show our admiration for the man whose death the whole world is now mourning.” Such a commission was created from professionals of the Milan Conservatory, and parts were distributed by lot among 12 composers (alas, none of these names survived their time). Verdi got the last part of Liberame, which is not often used when writing a requiem - it usually ends with the part AgnusDei.

A year later, Verdi announced that he had decided to compose the entire “Requiem” himself, and by that time he had already created the first two parts, which formed a single whole with the previously written last part, which was given to him by lot in 1868.

Also in 1868, Verdi had a long-awaited meeting with another contemporary, no less famous than Rossini - the writer Alessandro Manzoni.

Having learned about the death of Manzoni (May 22, 1873), Verdi did not go to Milan, saying: “I don’t have the courage to attend his funeral,” but the very next day he decided to create a grandiose monument - “Requiem”, which the best singers should were performed in Milan on the anniversary of Manzoni's death.

Verdi imbued the traditional structure of the Catholic service with purely romantic expression. In style, the Requiem is similar to Aida, which the composer worked on in parallel. A related circle of musical images, distinguished by an emphatically bright and convex outline, musical and theatrical forms (arioso, duets, trios, quartets) impart features of operatic expressiveness to the composition. Thanks to this, the Requiem took a strong place in the repertoire of theaters and concert halls. Verdi divided the canonical official text into 7 parts.

No. 1 Requiemaeternam (Eternal Peace) serves as a prologue. The voices of the choir pronounce the words of prayer in a low voice. Sorrowful sighs develop into a gentle, enlightened melody. Its soulful sound is contrasted by the courageous, energetic episode Tedecethymnus (Anthem Befits You). Kyrieeleison (Lord have mercy) begins with a wide, free phrase from the tenor, who is gradually joined by other soloists and the choir. The calm, peaceful conclusion of the issue especially emphasizes the tragic nature of the next part.

No. 2 Diesirae (Day of Wrath) is the main, most conflicting and widely developed number. The gloomy poetry of the medieval hymn, written in an era when plague epidemics claimed tens of thousands of human lives, inspired Verdi to create a spectacular picturesque painting of the Last Judgment. The main theme of this number will return repeatedly throughout the essay, serving as a kind of mementomori. The episodes that make up this part are most reminiscent of opera scenes. Tubamirum (Wonderful Trumpet) grows out of the music of Diesirae and is not inferior to it in power. It begins with an extensive symphonic introduction: menacing fanfares sound ever closer against the background of drumming. Are these echoes of numerous European revolutions of the 19th century, the Franco-Prussian military campaign of 1870-71, which became a “rehearsal” for the First World War? At the moment of highest tension, a sternly majestic phrase of the choir enters, which ends abruptly and unexpectedly, giving way to a muted, fading bass solo in the rhythm of a funeral march.

If before this number there were mainly choral performances, then soloists come to the fore, creating a gallery of human images reacting differently to life’s trials. The real gem of the second movement is the sadly peaceful quartet with the Lacrymosa choir. This final episode with a melody of amazing beauty is one of the most soulful in Verdi's music.

The three subsequent parts are dominated by a light atmosphere.

No. 3 Offertorio (Offering of Gifts) features a decoratively contemplative quartet of soloists. No. 4 Sanctus (Saint) - a gigantic, masterfully constructed polyphonic piece that glorifies the pathos of creation. No. 5 AgnusDei (Lamb of God) - a restrained, detached duet of female voices, variations in the old style on an unusual theme in the spirit of medieval church chant.

In the relatively small No. 6 Luxaeterna (Eternal Light), built on the contrast of light and darkness, the mood of the first movement gradually returns. No. 7 Liberame (Liberate me, Lord) is a grandiose epilogue to the Requiem. It opens with a passionate, expressive recitative from the soloist; then the main themes Diesirae and Requiemaeternam pass through. However, Verdi does not end his work with a traditional prayer for eternal peace. The requiem ends with a monumental fugue with a theme of a heroic, strong-willed nature, which sounds like a hymn to courage and the strength of the human spirit.