A funeral mass of music and dance 

A permanent feature in the concert repertoire, Giuseppe Verdi’s Messa da Requiem takes to the stage in a sensational co-production of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet. This masterpiece, which was composed to Catholic liturgy in Latin, is just as captivatingly dramatic as Verdi’s operas. The quietest whispers develop into colossal, climactic moments that push both the chorus and the orchestra to give everything they have. Instead of focusing on religious messages, Verdi’s Requiem delves into the final questions of human existence on a more general level. Choreographer Christian Spuck combines the oratoric score for four solo singers and a large chorus and orchestra to a visual world of dance, abstract scenes, space, and light.

“This is not an evening of ballet or music, this is a total work of art.”

– Nina Scheu, Tagesanzeiger

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Chief Conductor Hannu Lintu, Mezzosoprano Tuija Knihtilä and Soloist Dancer Tuukka Piitulainen talk about the work as they prepare fro the premiere.

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creative team

The production has been rented from Ballet Zürich.

Christian Spuck’s production of the Messa da Requiem touches on general human themes and is not a choreographic interpretation of the Catholic Requiem text. In order to emphasise the cross-denominational character of the performance, the artistic production team has decided not to use surtitles during the performance.

cast

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tickets & performances

See also

the keys to an entertaining evening