Event Detail

Steven Schick conducts

Hector Berlioz Requiem

Guest artists: John Tiranno, tenor; San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus

Berlioz’s Grand messe des morts is one of the most fabulous pieces of music ever conceived. Berlioz composed it for performance in the vast Les Invalides in Paris, and he conceived it as an example of what he called “architectural music.” It was, in fact, an early example of quadraphonic music, for Berlioz wrote it for an ideal orchestra of 200 players, a chorus of 600, and four brass bands stationed in the corners of the hall surrounding the audience. For all its ear-splitting spectacle, the Requiem also offers some of Berlioz’s most heartfelt music. Added performance: Friday at 7:30 pm