About the Requiem

The Roma Tre Orchestra presents this evening at the Palladium Theater which has as its theme the unfinished masterpiece of the Salzburg genius and is made up of other masterpieces by Mozart himself and Wilhelm Friedemann Bach.

The evening opens with the Symphony in D minor F. 65 by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, Johann Sebastian's eldest son. The symphony, written around 1740, solemn and melancholy in the first part, appears overall dramatic and passionate, and recalls, in some passages, Mozart's Requiem, who probablywas inspired by the Symphony.

The program continues with the Ave Verum Corpus in D major K. 618 also by Mozart and the Requiem in D minor K. 626. The Ave Verum Corpus is a brief sacred cantata, based on the 14th century Eucharistic hymn of the same name, which it was composed in 1791, the year of the composer's premature death. The song is a hymn to the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and is characterized by a simple but highly expressive melody which, in its linearity, is a true jewel.

The Requiem, from which the evening takes its title, is a monumental work considered to be a spiritual testament of Mozart, composed to celebrate the death of one of Mozart's friends. The work, divided into seven movements, is characterized by a great dramatic intensity.

The pieces are performed by the Kosovo Philharmonic Choir, directed by Sieva Borzak, and internationally known soloists: Seohee Kim (soprano), Marta Lotti (mezzo-soprano), Charles-Isaac Denys (tenor) and Karol Flich (bass).

Photo credits: courtesy of the Roma Tre Orchestra official site