Coming Soon, Gianandrea Noseda conducts the Verdi Requiem

Three-fifths of the Presto editorial team headed over to the Barbican last Tuesday to hear the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus's Verdi Requiem, performed under the baton of Gianandrea Noseda and with a formidable quartet of Italian solosts in soprano Erika Grimaldi, mezzo Daniela Barcellona (fresh from her Proms triumph in the very different sound-world of Rossini's Semiramide a couple of weeks ago), tenor Francesco Meli and bass Michele Pertusi.

The performances (there was another on the Sunday evening) were warmly received in the press, with The Guardian observing that "The Italian maestro has Verdi in his system, and this was a formidable interpretation, electric from start to finish" and The Times opining that "The heart of the performance lay in the four Italian soloists. They brought a ring of authenticity to the music, not least because they made the vowels glow with Italian warmth".

The recording will be released on the orchestra's own label in April 2017, but in the meantime the entire concert is available to stream (in eight parts) via the London Symphony Orchestra's website…