Review: BBC PROMS: PROM 6 – VERDI'S REQUIEM, Royal Albert Hall

“I believe in nothing.” Listening to Verdi’s Requiem would certainly suggest otherwise, its 85-minute journey from “Introit and Kyrie” and “Dies irae” - via “Offertory”, “Sanctus”, “Agnus Dei” and “Lux aeterna” - to “Libera me” explores a wealth of emotions, and is rooted in spirituality.

It’s also incredibly theatrical; Verdi was an operatic master, and had composed most of his best-loved works before inspiration struck and started him on his way to writing a requiem. This may have come from several places, such as the deaths of fellow composer Gioachino Rossini and writer Alessandro Manzoni, but after five years it was finally complete - and debuted at San Marco in Milan on 22 May 1874.

This 150th anniversary performance saw Ryan Bancroft back for his second Prom in as many days, conducting the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the BBC National Chorus of Wales, and Crouch End Festival Chorus. Taking on the solo parts were Proms debut artists Latonia Moore (soprano), SeokJong Baek (tenor), and Soloman Howard (bass), alongside Karen Cargill (mezzo-soprano).

Interestingly, many Proms performances of this particular piece have the Requiem as a standalone piece, rather than pairing it with any other compositions. It’s understandable that a piece of this length, complexity and emotional heft tends not to be paired with anything else - especially celebrating such an important milestone this year - but it might be interesting in the future to kick off proceedings with a shorter piece (or even another requiem), before closing the night with this one. When the headline composition is this famous, it’s in a perfect position to introduce audiences to something new.

It would also be nice if some kind of captioning were considered - or even if each movement could be signposted. Not everyone can afford a £6 programme, where this information is unobtrusively available. Use of creative captioning on the light screens behind the orchestra might be fun as well, to increase accessibility in a potentially less overwhelming way.

Each section of the orchestra contributed to an electrifying performance, though several memorable moments came courtesy of Steve Barnard (timpani) and Phil Hughes (percussion). I’ve also never previously noticed a bass trombone before, but Darren Smith’s performance really added some great depth to the brass section.

Special mention should go to Latonia Moore, who gave a truly committed performance; her soprano tone rung out crisply and clearly in the Royal Albert Hall auditorium, and she seemed visibly overcome by the intensity of the closing moments of the “Libera me”.

A breathtaking display all-round made for a phenomenal and unforgettable night. A Prom for the ages.

The BBC Proms run at the Royal Albert Hall until 14 September

Photo credit: BBC/Chris Christodolou

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