This year's CHORALSPACE Summer Festival saves the best for last, closing with Verdi's Requiem XXL-a grand performance of Giuseppe Verdi's celebrated Messa da Requiem by a 900-person choir.
Verdi's famous Requiem was written in memory of writer Alessandro Manzoni, and premiered in 1874, 150 years ago, at the Chiesa di San Marco in Milan. Initially criticized for being too operatic-it was described as "an opera in ecclesiastical robes"-performances of that work have since embraced an identity of drama and grandeur. Verdi's Requiem XXL does as much. Its immense ensemble will include the CHORALSPACE Festival Choir-with members coming from Taiwan, Estonia, Greece, Denmark, Italy, Bulgaria, and Germany-the Gürzenich Chor Köln, the Konzertchor Friedenau Berlin, and the Universitätschor Koblenz, performing with the Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie led by Sergi Gili Solé (who is also conductor of the Konzertchor Friedenau).
The soloists are soprano Iwona Sobotka, mezzo-soprano Alexandra Urquiola, tenor Andrés Moreno García, and bass Gerard Farreras.
The CHORALSPACE Summer Festival brings together choirs from all over the world to present "concerts created by local and international choirs in some of Berlin's most beautiful concert venues." This year's festival includes three International Singing Days; the concert project, Berlin Loves You at the Philharmonie Berlin; Gounod & Mendelssohn at Philharmonie Berlin spotlighting women conductors, Diane Retallack and Elda Laro; and, to close, the Verdi Requiem. Ensemble rehearsals for the Requiem will begin on June 27, ahead of its performance at the Great Hall of the Berlin Philharmonie on June 30.
