Quattro pezzi sacri

The single works forming the sacred music cycle "Quattro pezzi sacri" were composed as independent pieces between 1889 and 1897. The scoring ranges from solo voices 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 last years 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.

The masses 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 conscious encounter with historical models such as Palestrina and Bach.