Verdi's Requiem: A Marvellous Creation

“A song is a succession of sounds, / Each one expressing in its own way / Some idea that was not expressed in another one.” – John Donne

Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem is a marvellous creation. It is painfully beautiful and has been performed all over the world for nearly a century now. But at the time of its first appearance, both those who loved it and those who hated it greeted the work with horror.

Nearly a century after its first appearance, the work presented all over the world. It evoked both admiration and horror from those who loved or hated it at the time. It is one of my favourites. Moreover, The story behind the composition of this incredible musical masterpiece reveals much about the life of one of Italy’s most respected composers.

On May 22, 1873, Verdi learned his longtime friend and motivator Alessandro Manzoni died. But Verdi was too mourned to attend his funeral, and the whole country was in the grief of the loss of one of its cultural representatives. However all knew, Manzoni had an amazing amount of influence on Verdi.

But the piece wasn’t just about Manzoni, in 1869 bunch of composers decided to compose a Missa (Messa per Rossini) to memorialize Rossini; Verdi composed the part of Libera me. Verdi went to Milan and proposed composing a requiem, to honour the memory of Manzoni, Verdi notified the mayor of Milan that he’s ready to compose a requiem to play in Manzoni’s death anniversary.

However, in that era, the bourgeoisie strongly opposed the Church. Initially. They didn’t favor the requiem. But as events unfolded, they accepted Verdi’s submission with gladness.

The Requiem is a musical piece, not a play.

It’s not a play. The Requiem was composed to honour the memory of Manzoni, not to honour the death of Christ. In the eighteenth century, some composers tried to compose religious music that was based on the story of the Bible. So, That kind of music is forbidden by the Catholic Church(See: “Gloria” and “Requiem Aeternam”).

Premiere of Requiem in San Marco

The piece was going to vocalize in the church of San Marco in Milan, 4000 people were ready for the piece and some people couldn’t even enter the church. The church was filled to the brim. After four soloists Maestro Verdi set foot in.

He was standing up there with his silvery beard and red-hot eyes. With the arrival of priests, and the piece has begun to perform. Although A vast majority was praising the Verdi but one, Hans von Bülow, was brutal in his criticism. Even before the premiere of the piece he called the piece “Opera in disguise” moreover he called him envious of Rossini, and said the impresarios in Paris wouldn’t appreciate him because the piece gives lack of pleasure.

But everyone else liked and admired Verdi and after that he was going to perform the Requiem in London and Paris.