The Opéra de Monte-Carlo, headed up by the indomitable Cecilia Bartoli, is kicking off the season with a bold choice conducted by the legendary Daniel Barenboim: Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem. 

Cecilia Bartoli’s second season as Artistic Director of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo begins on 2nd November with a choral concert performing the Verdi classic, Messa da Requiem.

VERDI’S TRIBUTE 

This monumental work was originally created in tribute to writer and poet Alessandro Manzoni, who died in 1873. It was designed as a piece for four soloists, a double choir and a full orchestra as a funeral mass piece, but at the time of its conception it was considered too “operatic” to be performed in a church. 

Not deterred, Verdi first played Requiem at Milan’s San Marco Church on the first anniversary of Manzoni’s death on 22nd May 1874. The composer conducted himself. Three nights later, he debuted the work at La Scala, where it was an instant success.  

NOW IN MONACO 

The Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo (OPMC) will host this exceptional evening at the Grimaldi Forum, with Daniel Barenboim conducting and and Choirmaster Stefano Visconti at the helm.

Soprano Marina Rebeka, mezzosoprano Ekaterina Semenchuk, tenor Michael Spyres and bass Ildar Abdrazakov will take on the roles of the four soloists, and this illustrious quartet will be supported by the Monte-Carlo Opera Chorus and the OPMC. 

The show is set to be 90 minutes of sheer beauty; a wondrous way to lead into what will be a magnificent 2023/24 season. For tickets and more information, click here.  

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Photo credit: Harald Hoffmann