Verdi’s Requiem had already been labelled as »opera in liturgical garb« by the composer’s contemporaries. After its premiere, the work soon broke loose from the ecclesiastical context and it is now usually performed in concert halls. This understanding of the work is supported by its dramatic conception, opera-like expression and the political climate of the Italian unification process, within whose context the Requiem was composed. So who could be more qualified, more authentic interpreters of this dramatic music than the choir and orchestra of the Scala in Milan? Together with their chief conductor Riccardo Chailly and four amazing soloists, they perform the Requiem at the Elbphilharmonie on two evenings. read less