«It's an aesthetic delight. The evening is inspiring and gripping... a prelude of great impact.» – taz

«It is a total work of art that lives from the interplay of many great individual performances. The production is undoubtedly one of the highlights of this season in Berlin.» –¬ Morgenpost

»Christian Spuck has brilliantly introduced himself to Berlin with Messa da Requiem.» – Tagesspiegel

«[Christian Spuck's] Berlin debut could hardly have been more fulminant than with Verdi's Messa da Requiem.» – Berliner Zeitung

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Messa da Requiem is one of Giuseppe Verdi’s central works. It premiered in Milan in 1874 and remains one of the most moving works of his oeuvre. Verdi himself might have set Latin text and Catholic liturgy to music, however, he famously had something universally human in mind when he created this composition after several personal tragedies. Much like Verdi, Christian Spuck is not concerned with a religious interpretation of the text. He is rather interested in portraying people who, in their vulnerability and helplessness, are searching for consolation.
«In its essence, Verdi’s Requiem, a large-scale oratorio, is about humankind and its relationship towards death as well as the big question: who are we? Where do we come from? Where do we go? By reflecting on mortality, we are confronted with ourselves. Humankind looks inward in the face of death. I believe in that sense, Verdi, who was a church critic, composed his requiem.»
Christian Spuck brought his successful Zurich production to Berlin in 2023, which tells of emotions such as fear, anger, pain and grief through monumental imagery, dealing with the boundaries between life and death. The Staatsballett Berlin dancers are joined by the Rundfunkchor Berlin (Musical Director Gijs Leenaars) as well as renowned vocal soloists to stage this significant work.