
Verdi's Requiem: The Met Remembers 9/11
Season 49 Episode 2 | 1h 40m 44sVideo has Closed Captions
The Met Opera presents a special performance of Verdi Requiem to commemorate 9/11.
Originally premiering September 11, 2021 in remembrance of the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, this special performance hosted by Misty Copeland and led by Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin featuring soloists Ailyn Pérez, Michelle DeYoung, Matthew Polenzani and Eric Owens.
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Major series funding for GREAT PERFORMANCES is provided by The Joseph & Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation, the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Arts Fund, the LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, Sue...

Verdi's Requiem: The Met Remembers 9/11
Season 49 Episode 2 | 1h 40m 44sVideo has Closed Captions
Originally premiering September 11, 2021 in remembrance of the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, this special performance hosted by Misty Copeland and led by Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin featuring soloists Ailyn Pérez, Michelle DeYoung, Matthew Polenzani and Eric Owens.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship♪♪ -Hello.
I'm Misty Copeland.
Join us in just a few moments for a very special program -- "Verdi's 'Requiem': The Met Remembers 9/11."
On this 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, the great Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus and four remarkable soloists under the baton of Met music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin pay tribute to the lives we lost that day with Verdi's stirring Requiem Mass.
Please stay tuned.
♪♪ [ Choir singing in Latin ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -Good evening.
I'm Misty Copeland.
Thank you for joining us for tonight's special Metropolitan Opera performance, presented in association with the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum.
Our performance is dedicated to the innocent lives lost on 9/11, 20 years ago to this day, to the valiant first responders, many of whom died trying to save them, and to all the families who still bear the weight of that unspeakable tragedy.
On a day filled with solemn remembrances of those horrendous events that took place here in Lower Manhattan, a day that shook the world, the Metropolitan Opera is offering commemoration and solace with a live performance of classical music's most beautiful and stirring homage to those we've lost, Verdi's Requiem, a 90-minute work for orchestra, chorus, and soloists.
I'm here at Ground Zero, where the Twin Towers once stood so proudly.
Tonight they are represented by the twin beams of the Tribute in Light, a symbolic reminder of what once was.
But tonight, we also pray for what some day might be a better world.
Verdi summoned all of his genius in creating the work you are about to hear, a work that captures humanity's connection to the divine and that reminds us to hope for freedom from hate and willful destruction.
As our cameras travel Uptown to the Metropolitan Opera House, you will see that it, too, is bathed in a tribute in light.
Outside the opera house, we are broadcasting the sound of the performance to an overflow crowd and projecting the English text on the Met's grand facade.
This is the first performance to take place inside the opera house since it was shut down by the pandemic a year and a half ago.
The Met has also been my spring-season home for my entire career with American Ballet Theatre.
I know it has been a long and arduous road back for the proud members of the Met and for the many fans for whom the performances have brought so much joy.
So this performance also symbolizes the rebirth of the performing arts in New York City, our cultural capital.
And now Met music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin is ready to take the podium to conduct the incomparable Met Orchestra and Chorus, along with our quartet of extraordinary soloists -- soprano Ailyn Pérez, mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung, tenor Matthew Polenzani, and bass-baritone Eric Owens.
Here now is "Verdi's 'Requiem': The Met Remembers 9/11."
[ Cheers and applause ] [ Louder cheers and applause ] [ Cheers and applause continue ] [ Cheers and applause fade ] [ Instrumental music plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ All singing in Latin ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Luceat eis ♪ ♪ Luceat eis ♪ ♪ Luceat eis ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Requiem ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Requiem ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Requiem aeternam ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Kyrie eleison ♪ ♪ Kyrie eleison ♪ ♪ Eleison ♪ ♪♪ -♪ Kyrie eleison ♪ -♪ Kyrie eleison ♪ -♪ Kyrie eleison ♪ -♪ Kyrie eleison ♪ -♪ Kyrie eleison ♪ ♪ Christe eleison ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Eleison ♪ -♪ Eleison ♪ ♪ Eleison ♪ ♪ Eleison ♪ -♪ Eleison ♪ -♪ Eleison ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Christe ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Solvet in favilla ♪ -♪ Dies ♪ -♪ Dies ♪ -♪ Dies ♪ -♪ Dies ♪ ♪ Solvet saeclum in favilla ♪ ♪ Teste David cum Sibylla ♪ ♪ Dies irae ♪ ♪ Dies illa ♪ ♪ Solvet saeclum in favilla ♪ ♪ Solvet saeclum in favilla ♪ ♪ Teste David cum Sibylla ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Dies irae ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Dies irae ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Dies irae ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Mors ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Mors ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Mors ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Stupebit ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Dies irae ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Dies irae ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Nil ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Nil ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Nil ♪ -♪ Dies irae ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Dies irae ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Dies irae ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Dies illa ♪ ♪ Dies irae ♪ ♪ Dies illa ♪ ♪ Dies illa ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Quid ♪ -♪ Quid ♪ -♪ Sum ♪ -♪ Sum ♪ -♪ Miser ♪ ♪♪ -♪ Rex tremendae majestatis ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Recordare ♪ ♪ Jesu pie ♪ ♪ Quod sum causa ♪ ♪ Quod sum causa ♪ ♪ Quod sum causa ♪ ♪ Tuae viae ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Donum fac ♪ ♪ Remissionis ♪ ♪ Ante diem ♪ ♪ Ante diem ♪ ♪ Ante diem ♪ -♪ Ante diem ♪ -♪ Ante diem ♪ ♪ Rationis ♪ -♪ Rationis ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Et ab haedis me sequestra ♪ ♪ Statuens ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Et ab haedis ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Me sequestra ♪ ♪ Statuens in parte dextra ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Gere curam ♪ ♪ Mei finis ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Voca me ♪ ♪ Cum benedictis ♪ ♪ Voca me ♪ ♪ Voca me ♪ ♪ Cum benedictis ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Gere curam ♪ ♪ Mei finis ♪ ♪ Gere ♪ ♪ Gere curam ♪ ♪ Mei finis ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Oro supplex et acclinis ♪ ♪ Gere curam ♪ ♪ Gere curam ♪ ♪ Mei finis ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Dies irae ♪ ♪ Dies illa ♪ ♪ Dies irae ♪ ♪ Dies illa ♪ ♪ Dies illa ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] [ Applause continues ] [ Singing in Latin ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S49 Ep2 | 2m 10s | The Met Orchestra and Chorus perform "Dies Irae" (2m 10s)
Great Performances – Verdi's Requiem: The Met Remembers 9/11
Video has Closed Captions
Preview: S49 Ep2 | 30s | The Met Opera presents a special performance of Verdi Requiem to commemorate 9/11. (30s)
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