Requiem (Dover Music Scores)

There are requiems (settings of the Roman Catholic mass for the dead) in the classical repertoire by almost every important composer and suited for almost every taste: introspective, mournful, or confident of the promise of the hereafter. Verdi's Requiem is by far the most theatrical of them all, with big, dramatic arias (requiring big, dramatic voices) and choruses, heroic trumpets, and a deafening bass drum that provokes an inescapably visceral reaction in the bombastic "Dies Irae" section. It's all, well, highly operatic. That's not surprising, given Verdi's standing as the greatest Italian opera composer of the 19th century; indeed, some wags have even argued that the Requiem is one of Verdi's very best operas. It is undoubtedly unsuitable for use in a normal funeral service, but this is wonderful, thrilling music, with fine moments for the chorus and soloists. It's demanding music, too, with several prolonged a capella sections that add an element of suspense to any performance: will the singers stay on pitch until the orchestra comes back in?

With this Dover score you can see how Verdi put it all together and got those particular effects. Like virtually all Dover editions, this one is a reprint of another publisher's out-of-copyright work; don't look for the latest in critical scholarship here. Because it is a full score, it is far more suitable for use by the armchair conductor than by singers seeking to work on the music, and few pianists will be able to read all the instrumental lines to play an accompaniment. But as a valuable educational tool, you can't beat the price or the package.