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Home , Angela Meade, Requiem (Verdi)

Verdi’s

Thursday, January 20, 2011 8 pm Saturday, January 22, 2011 8 pm Sunday, January 23, 2011 2:30 pm

Thomas Dausgaard, conductor *Angela Meade, soprano Margaret Lattimore, mezzo-soprano *Garrett Sorenson, *Morris Robinson, baritone Houston Symphony Chorus Charles Hausmann, director

Verdi Requiem I Requiem: Andante II : Allegro agitato III Offertorio: Andante mosso IV Sanctus: Allegro V Agnus Dei: Andante VI Lux aeterna: Allegro moderato VII , Domine: Moderato *Houston Symphony debut

REQUIEM Born: Oct 9/10, 1813, Roncole near Busseto, Italy Died: Jan 27, 1901, Milan, Italy Work composed: 1873-74 Recording: Claudio Abbado conducting the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra; Angela Gheorghiu, Daniela Barcelona, Julian Kostantinov, Roberto Alagna, soloists; Swedish Radio Chorus; Orfeon Donostierra, director; EMI Classics Instrumentation: three (third doubling piccolo), two , two , four , four horns, four , three , , , percussion, four offstage trumpets and strings The 1868 death of prompted memorial tributes throughout the operatic world. Giuseppe Verdi galvanized his publisher and, in turn, 13 Italian composers to contribute portions of a requiem mass, intending to perform the composite work on the first anniversary of Rossini’s death in his native . Although the music was written, the performance never took place and the pieces were returned to their respective composers, including Verdi’s “Libera me, Domine.” There the matter rested until the death of , the celebrated poet, humanist and literary standard bearer of resurgent Italian nationalism on May 22, 1873. Verdi revered Manzoni, and on June 3 of that year, proposed writing a complete requiem in Manzoni’s memory. Verdi’s letter to his publisher, Tito Ricordi, specified that he would pay to copy the score and wondered if the City of Milan would pay to have the work performed there. The mayor of Milan immediately accepted Verdi’s proposal, though city council members later questioned the propriety of using public funds for a religious service at a time when Italian church-state relations were difficult, according to scholar David Rosen. Verdi bypassed Milan’s famed cathedral and Manzoni’s favorite church, San Fedele, as sites for the premiere, choosing Milan’s church of San Marco for its superior acoustics. The use of women choristers and vocal soloists was also questioned, since Catholic church music in Italy was only performed by men and boys at that time. This problem was surmounted by having the women stand behind a grille. While this memorial employed the liturgical texts for the Mass of the Dead, it was not a complete liturgical service, since the consecration of the bread and wine was omitted. Verdi’s Requiem won broad and immediate acclaim and was toured throughout Europe with further performances in the United States, Argentina and Egypt. Following a period of neglect, the work has established itself as one of the most popular pieces in the choral-orchestral repertoire. Given its monumental scale and dramatically charged character, there were questions about its suitability for religious services. Such questions had surrounded famous settings of sacred texts for a century or more, when the relative values of architectural scale, theatricality and spiritual intent were assessed. Just before the premiere, conductor Hans von Bulow penned a critique that it was “an in ecclesiastical costume.” Though he later retracted that comment, he was right on the mark. Verdi could hardly help but imbue the vivid imagery of the Requiem text with music that was true to his innately operatic temperament. Although the work was first performed at the religious service, it was the composer’s very public expression of his admiration for Manzoni and his vivid interpretation of humanity’s fear of damnation and final plea for God’s mercy. The muted, semi-anonymous traits often associated with service music, promoting a spirit of quiet contemplation, were never part of Verdi’s musical speech. Nevertheless, traits of the ecclesiastical style are imbedded in his highly theatrical music throughout the score of the Requiem. The entrance prayer opens the Requiem with a hushed choral supplication to let the dead rest eternally, accompanied by the softest of muted strings. But the central part of the prayer, “Te decet hymnus,” is set more boldly in an unaccompanied motet style, with staggered entries of the four choral parts as is commonly found in mid 16th-century ecclesiastical music. The Introit flows directly into the Kyrie, where solo voices are featured with the choral orchestral ensemble. Intense musical drama enters in the 21 verses of the sequence, “Dies irae.” The image of God’s wrath is expressed in a pounding choral-orchestral march, as elemental as any torrent of Verdian fury in early biblical such as . Quivering string figures depict the trembling souls awaiting judgment, and a mighty brass rises with a fanfare heralding the “Tuba mirum” when the heavenly summons the dead from countless cemeteries. These introductory choral-orchestral verses might be likened to the beginnings of grand climactic scenes at the center of Verdi operas: the third-act “Auto da fe” in Don Carlo, the Triumphal Scene in the second act of or the shameful public denunciation of Desdemona in the third act of . A major string of solo arias, duets, trios and follows these three choral verses: an awesome bass aria for “Mors stupebit,” a long, dramatic alto aria punctuated by choral interjections for “Liber scripturus” and a soprano/alto/tenor trio for “Quid sum miser.” There is an ensemble dramatically pitting the soloists against the men’s chorus, then the full chorus in “Rex Tremendae”; a lyrical soprano/alto duet for the “Recordare” verse; a gentle tenor aria that rises to an exciting climax at the end of the “Ingemisco” verse; and a highly dramatic bass solo for the verse beginning with the word, “Confutatis.” Departing from strict liturgical practice, the chorus repeats the initial “Dies irae” before a solo/choral ensemble led by the mezzo-soprano for the “Lacrymosa” and the quiet, concluding “Dona eis requiem.” The text of the lengthy offertory prayer is given over entirely to the vocal soloists, whose music is divided between ensemble and solo singing. In keeping with the ecclesiastical character of the Requiem, this movement is rich in counterpoint. By contrast, the following “Sanctus” is sung entirely by the chorus, which is subdivided into eight parts for the first time in the work. Here, the praise-giving nature of the text prompted Verdi to follow church-music tradition and set the movement as a joyous, fullthroated scherzo, abandoning doleful implications inherent in the work at large. The thrice-repeated supplication in the “Agnus Dei” is at once simple and complex. Simulating plainchant, Verdi begins with an unaccompanied duet by the female soloists, sung at the hollow octave interval, similarly repeated by the chorus and strings. The major key then changes to minor for a more elaborate solo/choral statement and repetition of the second plea. Finally, there is an extended, more elaborate statement when the third plea emphatically begs that the deceased may rest eternally at peace. The communion prayer, “Lux aeterna,” asserts its plea in an ensemble of soloists, accompanied by shimmering tremolo passages in the strings and a figurative interplay among the woodwinds. The fear of damnation returns in the concluding “Libera me, Domine,” the prayer of absolution recited over the casket of the deceased. It was revived and reconstructed from Verdi’s original setting for the collaborative 1869 Requiem for Rossini. He borrowed themes from the “Libera me” and used them in the first two movements of this Manzoni Requiem, knowing they would tie the entire work together when repeated in its concluding prayer. Looking further ahead, the huge choralorchestral fugue that concludes the “Libera me” stands as a prototype for the joyous fugue he composed for the finale of his opera, , nearly two decades later. Although fugues were common in sacred music throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, Verdi rarely, if ever, employed them in his operas. In a sense, this fugue is a “lesson piece” for Falstaff, proving he could write one. ©2011, Carl R. Cunningham

Biographies

Thomas Dausgaard, conductor As chief conductor of the Danish National Symphony and Swedish Chamber orchestras, Thomas Dausgaard is renowned for his fresh approach to a broad range of repertoire. Under his leadership, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra/DR tours worldwide and records extensively. Since Dausgaard’s arrival in 1997, the Swedish Chamber Orchestra has become internationally recognized through recording and touring throughout Europe, Japan and the U.S. In summer 2010, Dausgaard led both ensembles in critically acclaimed BBC Proms concerts. Dausgaard guest conducts many of the world’s leading orchestras, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra (Tanglewood Festival), the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Pittsburgh and Baltimore symphonies, the Minnesota and Philadelphia orchestras, and makes frequent appearances with the Toronto and Seattle symphony orchestras. This season’s highlights include debuts with the Dallas, Washington National and Cincinnati symphony orchestras; the Cleveland Orchestra; engagements with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the City of Birmingham and Bournemouth symphony orchestras; SWR Stuttgart and MDR Leipzig; the Barcelona, Swedish Radio, Vienna and Sydney symphony orchestras; and the New Japan, Hong Kong and China Philharmonic orchestras. Dausgaard has been awarded the Cross of Chivalry (Denmark) and elected to the Royal Academy of Music (Sweden).

Angela Meade, soprano Since her operatic debut in Verdi’s () in 2008, American soprano Angela Meade has quickly become one of the outstanding vocalists of her generation, excelling in 19th-century bel canto repertoire, and in Verdi and Mozart operas. This season brings title roles in Mercadante’s (Wexford Festival) and Rossini’s Armida (Metropolitan Opera); debuts with the Palm Beach Opera, and the Pittsburgh and Baltimore symphonies in Verdi’s Requiem; and performances of Mahler’sSecond Symphony (Seattle Symphony) and Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang (San AntonioSymphony). Past productions include Le Nozze di Figaro, Agrippina, Die Zauberflöte and Die Fledermaus, among others. Concert repertoire includes Poulenc’s Gloria, Rossini’s Stabat Mater, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Verdi’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah and Vivaldi’s Gloria. Meade won opera’s largest cash prize – the $50,000 purse of the Jose Iturbi Competition – and was the first to win both the opera and operetta categories of Vienna’s prestigious Belvedere Competition. A Washington state native, she now resides in Philadelphia.

Margaret Lattimore, mezzo-soprano Grammy®-nominated mezzo-soprano Margaret Lattimore has performed with countless opera companies and orchestras across the country. She has sung the roles of Dorotea (), Meg Page (Falstaff), Jordan Baker (The Great Gatsby), Rosina (Il Barbiere di Siviglia) and the title role in La Cenerentola. This season’s highlights include Rossini’s Stabat Mater (San Antonio Symphony) and Haydn’s Paukenmesse (Sinfonica Nacional de Mexico). Last season, she performed in Beethoven’s Ninth (Houston Symphony) and Messiah (Alabama Symphony). Lattimore attended the Crane School of Music at the State University of New York at Potsdam where she studied with Patricia Misslin. She won the Metropolitan National Council Auditions at 24, the Eleanor McCollum Award (Houston Grand Opera Studio), a Jacobson Study Grant (Richard Tucker Foundation) and the prestigious George London Award. She was a 2006 Grammy® nominee for the Koch International recording of John Harbison’s Motetti di Montale. She lives with her husband and son in New York.

Garrett Sorenson, tenor American tenor Garrett Sorenson has been praised as a young artist of unique promise, with a rich lyric voice of beauty and power. He has performed with, among others, the Metropolitan, San Francisco, Houston Grand, Los Angeles and West Australian Operas; the Florida and New York Philharmonics; and the San Francisco, Baltimore, Cleveland and Boston Symphony Orchestras. Sorenson has performed in Carmen, Otello, La Bohème, , Faust, Die Fledermaus, Tristan und Isolde, , Der Rosenkavalier and Die Zauberflöte, among others. Concert repertoire includes Mozart’s Requiem and Handel’s Messiah. He received the Sara Tucker Study Grant and the Richard Tucker Foundation Career Grant; he won the Opera Birmingham Young Singer Contest, the Sorantin Young Artist Award and the 2003 George London Foundation Competition. A Texas Tech University alum, Sorenson was a member of the 2001 Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program and is a graduate of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. He resides in Kentucky with his wife, Elizabeth Batton, and sons.

Morris Robinson, baritone Atlanta native Morris Robinson is quickly becoming one of the most interesting and sought after bass-baritones of his generation. He has appeared with the Metropolitan, Los Angles, Cincinnati, Florida Grand and Seattle operas; in concert with the Chicago, Baltimore, Nashville and Sao Paulo orchestras the National Symphony and Met Chamber orchestras; and at the Ravinia, Mostly Mozart, Tanglewood, Cincinnati May, Verbier and Aspen festivals. Robinson’s appearances this season include The Magic (Metropolitan Opera) and Don Giovanni (Dallas and Florida Grand operas); and concerts with the Nashville, Baltimore and Detroit symphony orchestras. Robinson attended the Boston University Opera Institute and is a graduate of The Citadel and the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. His solo album, Going Home, was released on Decca.

Charles Hausmann, director Dr. Charles S. Hausmann was named director of the Houston Symphony Chorus in 1986 and has prepared the group for more than 500 concerts and more than 40 acclaimed conductors, including Hans Graf, Christoph Eschenbach, Claus Peter Flor and . His extensive repertoire includes most of the major choral/orchestral masterworks. As director of choral studies and professor of conducting at the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music, Hausmann directs the master’s and doctoral programs in choral conducting and conducts the Moores School Choral Artists, a graduate chamber choir. He is especially interested in conducting pedagogy and choral/orchestral performance. Current research activity on the use of dance pedagogy in teaching conducting resulted in co-authorship of an article, “The Dance of Conducting.” Hausmann also serves as director of choral music at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, where he led the Houston Symphony Chorus in a special performance of Mendelssohn’s St. Paul in the spring of 2008. During the 2010-2011 season, Hausmann has prepared the Chorus for Verdi’s Requiem, a very special concert with , Very Merry Pops, Messiah and will prepare it for Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky. Hausmann frequently appears as a guest conductor, lecturer and clinician, and has conducted numerous concert tours throughout the United States, Europe and Mexico. He led the Chorus on its fourth European tour in 2007, when he appeared as guest conductor during the Prague Spring Festival. He and the Chorus share a 23-year collaboration with Mexico City’s Orquesta Sinfonica de Mineria, recently performing Mendelssohn’s Elijah with former Associate Conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto.

The Houston Symphony Chorus, directed by Charles Hausmann, is made up of volunteer musicians from all parts of the Houston metropolitan area. Its members rehearse at Moores School of Music every Tuesday evening, motivated by the challenge and joy of performing great music and the opportunity to work with the Houston Symphony. For audition information, contact the Chorus manager at (713) 444-9221 or [email protected].