Cavalli succeeded his teacher Claudio Monteverdi as the leading opera composer in Venice of the mid-17th century. His Requiem for eight voices, composed for his own memorial services, masterfully blends the rich polyphonic traditions of Venice with the dramatic sensitivity that Cavalli’s operas are famous for. No wonder that this masterwork played an important role in the early music revival of the 19th century, being referred to as “the most solemn Requiem that exists”.