The father of the modern Italian novel and a hero to 19th-century Italian nationalists, Alessandro Manzoni was venerated by Verdi for both his artistic talent and his moral force. When Manzoni died, Verdi could not bring himself to attend the funeral. But eventually he decided to honor Manzoni with a Requiem Mass, a monumental piece with all the dramatic power and expressive lyricism of Verdi’s operas. “Only a genius could have written such a work,” Brahms said.

Come for:

The singing!

And more:

Gustavo Dudamel led a “magnificently theatrical” (LA Times) Verdi Requiem in his first season as LA Phil Music Director.