On Thursday 9 July we joined forces with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra to present Verdi’s Requiem. With symphonic writing, virtuosic solos and plenty of drama, Requiem has been referred to as the pinnacle of Verdi’s concert works, and is one of the most widely recognised pieces of choral and orchestral music in the world. Requiem, which marks the beginning of a Verdi celebration of epic proportions with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, will soon be followed by Il Trovatore (Saturday 16 July) and finally, Macbeth (21 September to 22 October).
Here is some of the feedback received:
Conductor Giovanni Bellincampi made sure the full range of emotions and tones were explored while maintaining a bracing tempo throughout. He ensured that both the intimate moments as well as the grand panoramas and explosions of sound were captured. With the opening bars of the “Introit” he kept the strings to just a whisper, barely audible, adding warmth through the soft sighs of the chorus. This opening was followed by the dramatic and terrifying “Dies Irae” where the massed power of orchestra and chorus gave the work a sense of both the resurrection and the apocalypse. The remarkable choral and orchestral forces were complemented by four soloists.
– John Daly-Peoples, New Zealand Arts Review.
A capacity audience was complemented by a full stage, including a super-choir, taken from Voices New Zealand, New Zealand Opera Chorus and Graduate Choir NZ. These singers were the beating heart of it all, from the visceral outbursts of “Dies Irae” to numerous excursions in bold, striding counterpoint. There was a hushed magic in their opening incantation, and thrills when Bellincampi coaxed them into a massive crescendo as if eternal light were indeed bursting forth.
