Jyväskylä Sinfonia: Verdi Requiem

Jyväskylä Sinfonia & Oulu Sinfonia Pablo Mielgo, conductor

Thu 29.10. Paviljonki at 6 PM Jyväskylä Sinfonia & Oulu Sinfonia Pablo Mielgo, conductor Marjukka Tepponen, soprano Melissa Zgouridi, mezzo-soprano Markus Nykänen, tenor Matti Turunen, bass Jyväskylä Opera Choir, chorus master Rita Varonen Giuseppe Verdi: Requiem “Day of wrath, day of terror!” The full orchestra’s thunderous blows, driven by pounding bass drums, leave no room for doubt: Judgment Day is coming – are you ready? Italy’s national hero Giuseppe Verdi wished to honor the memory of writer Alessandro Manzoni, and Verdi’s interpretation of the Roman Catholic Requiem Mass caused critics to recoil, describing it as “an opera in ecclesiastical robes.” But what else could one expect? In the hands of an operatic master, the liturgy became infused with chilling drama, heart-rending cries of anguish, anxiety-filled prayers, and tear-soaked glimpses of mercy. This spectacular work, knocking at the gates of eternity, still leaves no one untouched, as the difficult emotions we all face when confronted with life’s greatest questions become, through music, easier to process and encounter. Welcome to a monumental yet cathartic journey to the heights and depths together with the Jyväskylä Opera Choir, a charismatic quartet of soloists, and the experienced maestro Pablo Mielgo, as the orchestras of Jyväskylä and Oulu join forces for this overwhelming musical experience.