| Main Performers | Galina Vishnevskaya,
Peter Pears,
Tom Krause - vocals,
Simon Preston - organ |
| Orchestra or Band | London Symphony Orchestra |
| Choirs | Bach Choir,
Highgate School Boys' Choir |
| Conductors | Benjamin Britten,
David Willcocks |
| Set List | 'War Requiem, Op.66', B Britten |
| Performance Notes | Royal Albert Hall premiere and first concert hall performance of 'War Requiem, Op.66', Britten.
Britten's 'War Requiem, Op. 66' was first performed on 30 May 1962 for the consecration of the new Coventry Cathedral, which was built after the original 14thC structure was destroyed in a WW2 bombing raid. Britten, a pacifist, was inspired by the commission, which gave him complete freedom in deciding what to compose. Throughout the work traditional Latin texts are interspersed with poems by Wilfred Owen, written during WWI. The work is scored for soprano, tenor and baritone soloists, chorus, boys' choir, organ, and two orchestras (a full orchestra and a chamber orchestra). The chamber orchestra accompanies the intimate settings of the English poetry, while soprano, choirs and orchestra are used for the Latin sections; all forces are combined in the conclusion. The Requiem has a duration of approximately 8085 minutes.
For the premiere at Coventry Cathedral, Britten chose soloists Galina Vishnevskaya (a Russian), Peter Pears (an Englishman) and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (a German), to demonstrate a spirit of unity. Close to the premiere, the Soviet authorities did not permit Vishnevskaya to travel to Coventry for the event, so Heather Harper stepped in and performed the soprano role. A short time after Vishnevskaya was permitted to leave to make the award-winning recording of the Requiem and perform at this concert at the Hall in London. |
| Related Archival Material | Programme (RAHE/1/1963/4) |