Verdi's Requiem
Hong Kong Sinfonietta and Opera Hong Kong
Cultural Centre Concert Hall
Reviewed: Jun 21
Verdi's Messa da Requiem is surely one of the most flamboyant pieces of religious music ever written. Composed in 1874, when Verdi was at the height of his powers, in memory of his friend and hero Alessandro Manzoni, it created controversy by bringing the drama of opera to the requiem mass.
Sunday's performance by the Hong Kong Sinfonietta under the leadership of conductor Yip Wing-sie with violinist James Cuddeford as guest concert master was orchestrally outstanding. The music didn't flow quite organically enough in the early stages, but Yip kept things together tightly and the pace and power grew as the evening progressed. The great Dies Irae was played with the passion it demands and the softer passages were well contrasted, with great sweetness of tone from the violins. Placing trumpets in the upper gallery to create the orchestral equivalent of surround sound was effective.