הרקויאם של ורדי בפילהרמונית- אנגלית

מתוך הג'רוזלם פוסט

Verdi: Requiem. The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Prague Philharmonic Choir and soloists. Conductor: Zubin Mehta. Mann auditorium, Tel-Aviv. July 13.

Admittedly, I’m not a great Verdi fan: his compositional style is way too robust for me. Unfortunately, his Requiem is no exception. I find it either too bombastic at some parts or simply unattractive at others. True, it has some dazzling moments, like the intensive “Dies Irae” or some beautiful solos and ensembles. However, these hold only about 20 of this 80-minutes-long piece.
Having stated my predisposition for the music, I can however say some really warm words about this specific reading. Featuring the fantastic Prague Philharmonic Choir and an uplifted orchestra, Zubin Mehta led the huge ensemble to a reading that had everything one could ask for. Conducting the entire piece by heart, he was overwhelmingly powerful in the intensive moments and majestically quiet in the “piano” ones. All four soloists were also good, with two standing out. These were Russian soprano Marina Mescheriakova, who presented a sonorous yet heavenly voice, and Italian bass Roberto Scandiuzzi, whose smooth voice and pleasant presentation were highly enjoyable. If you have a penchant for Verdi’s furors, there’s little chance you’ll leave this concert disappointed.