Vancouver Symphony Orchestra's Verdi's Requiem showcases more than 150 musicians in sync, November 3 and 4

Performance melds opera singing, orchestra music, and solo voices in a rendition of Giuseppe Verdi’s Messa da Requiem

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra presents Verdi’s Requiem at the Orpheum on November 3 and 4 at 8 pm, as part of the Cadillac Masterworks Gold series

OVER 150 MUSICIANS are set to take the stage with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra this weekend in Verdi’s Requiem, a performance of 19th century Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi’s epic Messa da Requiem.

Divided into seven emotionally intense movements, Messa da Requiem honours the death of Italian aristocratic novelist-politician Alessandro Manzoni. The classical oratorio combines opera singing, orchestra music, and solo voices in a grand display that sets sorrow and passion in juxtaposition.

The work’s second movement, the Latin hymn “Dies Irae”, may ring a note of familiarity for listeners—it’s featured in several blockbuster film soundtracks, from Mad Max: Fury Road to Django Unchained.

The upcoming performance of Messa da Requiem spotlights the solo voices of Finnish soprano Miina-Liisa Värelä, Ontario-born mezzo-soprano Allyson McHardy, Newfoundland-born tenor David Pomeroy, and Australian bass-baritone Derek Welton.

Two UBC Choirs, the 40-voice University Singers and 150-voice Choral Union, combine forces for the 90-minute concert, which is led by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s music director Otto Tausk.

Complete with heartfelt dramatic build-ups and moments of mourning, the musicians’ notes are sure to reach every inch of the Orpheum’s opulent domed auditorium.

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Emily Lyth

Emily Lyth is a Vancouver-based writer and editor who graduated from Langara College’s Journalism program. Her decade of dance training and passion for all things food-related are the foundation of her love for telling arts, culture, and community stories.

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