Icons Rediscovered: Verdi's Requiem | Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Dies irae, dies illa… Trumpets blast, drums thunder and a mighty chorus cries out in terror.

A Requiem is a service for the dead, but there was never any chance that an old fighter like Giuseppe Verdi would go quietly into the night. Sure enough, his huge Requiem mass has been called the grandest opera he never wrote: thrillingly dramatic, blazing with emotion and conceived on an absolutely gigantic scale.

Vasily Petrenko has assembled a stellar team of soloists plus the full Philharmonia Chorus: all ready to storm the very heavens. It’s a piece that could have been written to be heard in the majestic surroundings of the Royal Albert Hall, and believe us, tonight you’ll feel the air shake.

Unfortunately Stefano La Colla is unable to perform in the RPO’s performance of Verdi’s Requiem on Tuesday 23 April due to ill health. We are grateful to tenor David Junghoon Kim for stepping in at short notice.