Messa Per Rossini - Warner Music Group Germany

Immediately following Rossini's death in 1968, Verdi wrote to the publisher Ricordi, "To honour Rossini's memory, I would very much like the best composers in Italy to write a repuiem mass, which should be performed on the anniversary of Rossini's death." Verdi's noble plan required each of the composers to contribute a movement, to be performed on the anniversary of Rossini's death in the church of San Petronio in Bologna.
All was prepared for performance but the political and cultural climate in the newly-unified Italy led to the project being abandoned. The music remained in the vaults of the Casa Ricordi until 1986 when the Messa per Rossini was rediscovered. The work was recreated and the public world premiere held in September 1988 as the closing performance at the European Music Festival in Stuttgart, conducted by Professor Helmuth Rilling.