Riccardo Muti, former Principal Conductor of the Philharmonia, returns to London to conduct Verdi’s roof-raising Requiem.
Verdi poured all his skill in depicting the extremes of human emotion into his Requiem. There is violence in the ‘Dies Irae’, power and grandeur in the ‘Tuba Mirum’, heralded by eight trumpets. Joyful praise resounds in the ‘Sanctus’, a brilliant double fugue. The ‘Agnus Dei’ opens with a spine-tingling unaccompanied duet for the soprano and mezzo soloists.
Only a handful of people have had the privilege of being Principal Conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra. Muti was at the helm from 1972 to 1982, succeeding Otto Klemperer. He is acknowledged as one of the world’s leading interpreters of Verdi, and one of the great conductors of our time. As the Philharmonia prepares to celebrate its 80th anniversary, his much-anticipated return is one of the highlights of London’s musical calendar.
Soprano: Marie Lys
Mezzo-soprano: Elina Garanca
Tenor: Piotr Beczala
Bass: William Thomas
Philharmonia Chorus
Chorus Master: Gavin Carr
Philharmonia Orchestra
conducted by Riccardo Muti
Date / Hours
27th March – 2025
19.30
Venue
Royal Festival Hall
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XX
