Requiem (Dover Choral Music Scores) - Softcover

Giuseppe Verdi

Softcover

ISBN 10: 048623682X ISBN 13: 9780486236827

Publisher: Dover Publications, 1978

Synopsis

"From the purely artistic and musical points of view the Requiem is certainly Verdi's greatest work to this date and an astounding manifestation of … continual progress and inner development. The stream of melodic invention is unfailing and of the highest quality. Most impressive of all is the mastery of form, of constructive power on the largest scale." — Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians
Composed in 1874 for the first anniversary of the death of Alessandro Manzoni, Verdi's Requiem reveals the composer at the height of his powers. The work, immensely popular with choral groups and music lovers, is frequently performed in concert, and numerous recordings are available. The study score of this rich and dramatic work, called by some as Verdi's greatest opera, is presented here complete and unabridged, and in a fine, clear modern edition.
Scored for four solo voices (soprano, mezzo soprano, tenor, bass), chorus, and orchestra, the Requiem is divided into seven sections:
No. 1 Requiem
No. 2 Dies irae
No. 3 Offertorio
No. 4 Sanctus
No 5. Agnus Dei
No 6. Lux aeterna
No 7. Libera me
The music has been reproduced in a size large enough to be read easily, with large noteheads, wide margins (for written notes, annotations, etc.), and on opaque paper with sturdy, sewn bindings. Pages lie flat and will not fall out. The edition is practical for almost any use, whether as a study guide, a reference, or an indispensable companion for your greater musical enjoyment.

About this title

Review

There are requiems (settings of the Roman Catholic mass for the dead) in the classical repertoire by almost every important composer and suited for almost every taste: introspective, mournful, or confident of the promise of the hereafter. Verdi's Requiem is by far the most theatrical of them all, with big, dramatic arias (requiring big, dramatic voices) and choruses, heroic trumpets, and a deafening bass drum that provokes an inescapably visceral reaction in the bombastic "Dies Irae" section. It's all, well, highly operatic. That's not surprising, given Verdi's standing as the greatest Italian opera composer of the 19th century; indeed, some wags have even argued that the Requiem is one of Verdi's very best operas. It is undoubtedly unsuitable for use in a normal funeral service, but this is wonderful, thrilling music, with fine moments for the chorus and soloists. It's demanding music, too, with several prolonged a capella sections that add an element of suspense to any performance: will the singers stay on pitch until the orchestra comes back in?

With this Dover score you can see how Verdi put it all together and got those particular effects. Like virtually all Dover editions, this one is a reprint of another publisher's out-of-copyright work; don't look for the latest in critical scholarship here. Because it is a full score, it is far more suitable for use by the armchair conductor than by singers seeking to work on the music, and few pianists will be able to read all the instrumental lines to play an accompaniment. But as a valuable educational tool, you can't beat the price or the package.

Edition details

• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Publication date: 1978
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 048623682X
• ISBN 13: 9780486236827
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 208