Giuseppe Verdi: Quattro Pezzi Sacri: Gesang Solo

Giuseppe Verdi's Quattro Pezzi Sacri for SATB and Piano.

The single works forming the sacred music cycle 'Quattro pezzi sacri' were composed as independent pieces between 1889 and 1897. The scoring ranges from solovoices a cappella to double choir with large orchestra. In 1898, the year of their first joint performance, Verdi had them published together as 'Quattro pezzi sacri'. With the composition of the 'Quattro pezzi sacri' in the lastyears of his life, Verdi thus returned to his church musician origins. Already at the age of 10, Verdi performed the duties of organist in his home congregation and later in Busseto, where he received his first music lessons.Themasses at the collegiate church in Busseto formed some of his most important musical impressions. During the time Verdi composed 'Falstaff', his last opera, he was once again composing sacred music, this time in a consciousencounter with historical models such as Palestrina and Bach.