programme
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) St Matthew Passion
performers
Cappella Amsterdam
Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century
Berit Norbakken soprano (not in Amsterdam)
Rowan Pierce soprano (in Amsterdam)
Marianne Beate Kielland mezzosoprano
Thomas Walker evangelist
Tomáš Král baritone (in Amsterdam and Paris)
Peter Harvey baritone
Daniel Reuss conductor
Soloists from the choir
René Ramos II bass
Twan van der Wolde tenor (in Paris)
Martin Logar tenor
background
Bach composed the St. Matthew Passion in 1727 for the Good Friday service at the Thomaskirche in Leipzig. This oratorio for soloists, choir, and orchestra is based on the Gospel of Matthew (chapters 26 and 27). After Bach’s death, the work fell into obscurity until it was rediscovered and performed again by Felix Mendelssohn in 1829. Since then, the St. Matthew Passion has become an essential part of the Western musical canon, with countless interpretations by choirs and orchestras worldwide.
Cappella Amsterdam and the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century perform the St Matthew Passion under the direction of conductor Daniel Reuss. Their long-standing collaboration fosters a seamless unity and a deeply refined interpretation, allowing the music and text to resonate in their full expressive power.
