SYMPHONY REVIEW

Heaven meets Hell in Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem, and humanity is caught in a struggle, the outcome of which seems far from certain.

Guest conductor Francesco La Vecchia led the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and four soloists, keeping operatic verve and religious fervor in a constant lively flux. La Vecchia, a native of Italy, may have brought some of the spirit of Verdi with him; in any case, he brought the disparate forces together as one in a performance of profound emotional impact.

Verdi, primarily a composer of operas and not a particularly religious man, was moved to compose the work at the death of novelist and patriot Alessandro Manzoni, incorporating music he had composed years before for a failed collaborative project in memory of composer Gioachino Rossini.

The Roman Catholic Church disapproved of Manzoni's brand of nationalism and found the Requiem too theatrical and operatic.

Which it is — but Verdi invested his operatic works with a sense of gravitas that carries through to the Requiem, about which there is nothing frivolous or merely decorative.

The centerpiece of the Requiem is the Dies Irae, a long poem describing the final days of the earth and the last judgment of God. The world melts and the dead are summoned forth to make an accounting of their life and deeds. The music introducing this — the roar of the chorus, the swirling of the strings, the pounding of the tympani — created a nightmarish storm, against which the soloists presented confessions of guilt and humble pleas for mercy. The music turns on a dime from storm to peace, and slithery chromatic passages keep everything a little off-balance, suggesting doubt and fear. The orchestra conveyed these light-and-dark contrasts vividly.

The four soloists — soprano Julie-Ann Whitely Green, mezzo-soprano Maren Montalbano, tenor Jeffrey Halili and baritone Zeffin Quinn Hollis — were capable interpreters of their parts. These parts were, in fact, roles without names and the piece calls for a great deal of interaction among soloists.

Green was especially effective in the closing section, the Libera Me, during which peace is interrupted by a re-emergence of the terrifying Dies Irae theme. She quieted her voice, merging with the chorus in a final plea of deliverance.

It is hard to believe that the chorus, some 133 strong, is put together from four different groups: the Symphony Chorus and singers from Elizabethtown College, Millersville University and Franklin & Marshall College. Chorusmaster Dr. William Wright prepared the singers well — they sang as one throughout the performance and carried through even the difficult fugal section toward the end of the piece.

Performances continue today at 3 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. at the Fulton Opera House.

epatton@lnpnews.com