Music
Lahav Shani Explodes Verdi's 'Requiem'
Conductor Lahav Shani led the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra in a performance of Verdi’s Requiem that was marked by dramatic intensity and occasional imbalance. While the orchestra displayed top-tier musicianship, particularly in instrumental dialogues and solo passages, Shani’s direction often overwhelmed individual voices with excessive volume. Bass Georg Zeppenfeld emerged as the standout performer, delivering exceptional warmth and depth. Soprano Hasmik Torosyan and mezzo-soprano Annalisa Stroppa provided strong vocal support, though tenor Dmytro Popov struggled with forced singing. The concert, which highlighted the theatrical nature of the work, was repeated on Sunday afternoon and broadcast on Radio Klassiek.
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