Verdi Gala
CONGRESS CENTRE PRAGUE – CONGRESS HALL
10th December 2009, 7.30 pm
Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian composer, one of the immortal characters of international opera and undoubtedly the most popular Italian opera composer. He continued developing the traditional form of Italian opera uniting its main features, dramatics and melodiousness, and thus rounding off its development. His first opera Oberto was performed at La Scala in 1839. The big success came with Nabucco in 1842. During the period from 1839 to 1850 Verdi with amazing speed and virtuosity composed operas I lombardi alla prima crociata, Macbeth, Il corsaro, Giovanna D´Arco and others addressing explicitly the Italian present. The following three operas placed Verdi in the foremost position among opera composers: Rigoletto (1851), La traviata and Il trovatore (1853). They unite the harmoniousness of the Italian bel canto with expressive realism. Then Verdi composed Les vépres siciliennes, Un ballo in maschera, Don Carlos etc. (1850-1870). For the gala opening of the Suez Canal he was commissioned to compose Aida (1871). After that the aging artist fell silent and devoted his creativity to adapting his previous works. By the end of his life he set to music two Shakespeare’s plays Othello and Falstaff. His other works include Requiem, Te Deum and Stabat Mater. The Verdi Gala concert will be the first after a long time to feature the most popular choruses, which will offer to the listeners an unforgettable encounter with the work of the famous composer performed by a hundred voices and a symphonic orchestra.
- Un giorno di regno - Sinfonia
- Il trovatore - Vedi, le fosche notturne spoglie
- Trubadůr - Or co' dadi , ma fra poco
- La traviata – Preludio
- La traviata – Si ridesta in ciel
- Nabucco – Sinfonia
- Nabucco - E I´Assiria una Regina
- Nabucco - Va, pensiero, sull'ali dorate
- Nabucco - Gli arredi festivi
- pause
- Ernani - Preludio
- I lombardi - Gerusalem! Gerusalem!
- I lombardi - O Signore
- La forza del destino - Sinfonia
- Macbeth – Che faceste? dite su!
- Macbeth – S´allontanarono!
- Macbeth - Vitoria!
- Aida - Gloria all'Egitto
Performed by
- Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra
- Vladimír Válek – conductor
- Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno