All but one of Guiseppe Verdi's masterworks are operas. Fortunately, though, that one exception is his stunning Requiem, into which he poured the same vibrant emotion that thrills opera fans. Indeed, more than a few critics have hailed the Requiem as Verdi's finest opera.
Verdi, a very plain man, could never have abided an intellectual effort at theological exploration. So it's indeed ironic that from this simple man, with no pretension of philosophical insight, arose a work that presents a far more potent sense of sophisticated (and quite modern) theology than the religious works of most of his predecessors.
Verdi was anti-clerical and an agnostic; his wife considered him an atheist and recalled that he would laugh and call her mad when she spoke of religion. Perhaps on a more personal level, Verdi found an outlet in the varied text of the requiem to explore his own ambivalent faith through his inherent sense of drama.
Verdi's score is intensely melodic, tightly focused and bristles throughout with surging passion and challenging discomfort.
Romsey Choral Society is joined on this occasion by the Waverley Singers, who in turn are welcoming Romsey Choral Society for a second joint performance of the Requiem on 27 January 2018 in Guildford Cathedral.