Verdi's Requiem (Messa da Requiem) is a large-scale choral work for four soloists, double choir and orchestra, composed by Giuseppe Verdi in memory of the Italian writer Alessandro Manzoni and first performed in Milan on 22 May 1874. Musicologist David Rosen has called it "probably the most frequently performed major choral work composed since" Mozart's Requiem. Its operatic intensity - above all the thundering Dies irae - sets it apart from the liturgical tradition, and it has remained a cornerstone of the concert repertoire for 150 years.
Teatro alla Scala will present Verdi's Requiem on 28 and 30 October 2026, conducted by Riccardo Chailly and featuring Anna Netrebko.
Performances of Verdi's Requiem at the Musikverein in Vienna (23-25 May 2026) conducted by Daniele Gatti sold out.
Sinfonia Lahti performed Verdi's Requiem in Tampere on 23 May 2025, conducted by chief conductor Dalia Stasevska.
The Finnish National Opera and Ballet staged a dance-theatre co-production of Messa da Requiem, choreographed by Christian Spuck of Staatsballett Berlin.
The 150th anniversary of the Requiem's premiere was marked by concerts and publications worldwide in May 2024.
