Festival Music

Verdi's Requiem

Usher Hall

Keith Bruce

four stars

THERE is no more dramatic setting of the Requiem Mass than that of Guiseppe Verdi, so an opera company, in this case the singers and orchestra of Turin's Teatro Regio, resident at the Festival all week, might be the ideal vehicle for its performance. Certainly the presence of 300 of the Italians in town meant that the team has strength in depth. Tenor soloist Piero Pretti was indisposed so Giorgio Berrugi was drafted in at only a few hours notice. He has the first solo utterance on the Kyrie and was superb throughout – arguably the most dramatic of the four soloists – and, while wishing Pretti well, no-one would say he was missed. The mezzo also does a lot of the heavy lifting in Verdi's score and Daniela Barcellona was well up for that, but the last word goes to the soprano, whose role builds over the arc of the piece, and after this concert the opportunity to hear Erika Grimaldi sing Mimi in La boheme, which she does at most of the Festival Theatre performances from Friday, should not be missed.

The theatre of the piece comes as much in the transitions, as from the choral Sanctus to the Agnus Dei duet, as in the epic recurring Dies Irae, which packed the sort of punch you would expect of 80-odd professional voices. It was a little ragged at times compared with a recital choir, but the power and drama were never lacking, turning on a sixpence from sotto voce to fortissimo.

The orchestral strings were pin-sharp alongside them, and principle flute Alice Morzenti and her section deserved a solo bow. With maestro Gianandrea Noseda in total command, this was a welcome opportunity to hear the players out of the pit.