Verdi Requiem - April 2009

Thank you to John Hendry for this review of the Verdi Requiem, performed by the combined Sevenoaks and Bromley Philharmonic Choirs, supported by the SSO, and with ENO soloists, all under the baton of Robyn Sevastos.

Some pieces of the mainstream repertoire get tagged with a label designed to sum them up, but often in fact damning them by the categorization. Verdi’s Requiem is one. The conventional response, often used pejoratively, is ‘operatic’. Well what a surprise! As [Mrs] Giuseppina Verdi said “……a man like Verdi must write like Verdi…and (the Requiem) bears the stamp of its period and the author’s personality”. Successful performances use the opera/drama aspect of the piece as a strength and create an atmosphere informed by this.

Robyn Sevastos and the massed forces gathered on Sunday certainly went for the dramatic in their interpretation. The thumping bass drum, brass and hysterical piccolo in the Dies Irae are famously melodramatic, but very exciting in the STAG, and well balanced, the chorus clearly audible above the orchestra. The hushed and unaccompanied chorus work was just as impressive, with a well tuned, rich sound and attention to dynamics and text, particularly in the homophonic sections. From time to time in the challenging contrapuntal sections of Te decet hymnus or the Sanctus there was a little unease, but the choirs’ attention to the conductor was rewarded with fine ensemble singing that was good to hear and see right through to the concluding Libera me. Robyn Sevastos’ rapport with her two choruses was impressive.

The structure of the Requiem is very much as a series of operatic scenas, and getting a sense of flow particularly through the long Dies Irae section can be tricky. However all soloists, and conductor, have considerable experience of stage work and there was a palpable sense of the end of a significant journey after the Lacrymosa. The orchestra have a vital role in setting and maintaining atmosphere not just as accompaniment. Their conductor Darrell Davison had rehearsed carefully, [and then led the cellos, brave of Robyn to have him under her right arm!]. Whether its high hushed violins, last trumpets, lyrical wind countermelodies, string ‘halos’ for the solos, romantic tenor register tunes across the orchestra, all were adept, characterful and contributed tellingly to the sound world Verdi was creating.

Soprano and mezzo soloists have great chances to shine in this piece, Ruth Kerr and Gaynor Keeble took these and went with them. Though it was the ‘simple’ idea of their octaves in the Agnus dei and their controlled, measured performance of this that produced the deepest hush in the hall. They were ably supported by David Newman [tenor] and Paul Napier-Burrows [bass] – the sepulchral tones of the bass in mors stupebit full of dramatic tension.

Space forbids a detailed commentary. This was a great community event, musicians from all round this area of Kent coming together in the revitalised Stag for an involving, thrilling, moving theatrical experience.

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