The composer dedicated the piece to his friends who died in the Second World War and intended it as a statement of his anti-war convictions and a warning to future generations about the senselessness and harm of bloodshed. The event commemorates the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and is intended to remind everyone of the dangers of wartime while calling on everyone to preserve peace in the world.
This performance of Britten's War Requiem features 170 artists from 6 countries:
Soloists Inga Kalna (soprano, Latvia/Germany), Allan Clayton (tenor, UK) and Viktor Rud (baritone, Ukraine/Germany);
State Academic Choir "Latvia";
Ažouliukas Boys Choir (Lithuania);
Latvian National Symphony Orchestra;
Conductor Zbigniew Graca (Poland).