St. Matthew Passion – The perspective of the instrumentalist

What is the podcast about?

Cellist Albert Brüggen is seasoned when it comes to passion performances. He lost count of the number of passion performances he has played, that is how many he has done. Reason enough to invite him to a conversation with principal conductor Daniel Reuss and musicologist Maartje Stokkers about the St. Matthew Passion, from the perspective of the instrumentalist.

What is more important in a performance: the singer or the instrumentalist? What role does the person of the instrumentalist play in rehearsals and performances? Which version is the most beautiful? You will hear the answer to these and many more questions in these two podcast episodes.

Listen to the podcast

Who do you hear in this podcast?

Albert Brüggen (b. 1964) began playing the cello at the age of 7. He received his training from Elias Arizcuren and Dimitri Ferschtmann at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam, where he graduated in 1993. After finishing his studies, Albert Brüggen devoted himself to playing early instruments. Due to his extensive experience in this field, he is now a sought-after continuo player and soloist throughout Europe and has played with almost all the major baroque orchestras. He is a member of the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century, Musica Alta Ripa (Hanover) and a regular cellist with Cantus Cölln (Cologne).

Maartje Stokkers is a Dutch musicologist and radio host. She studied musicology at the University of Amsterdam. She also took part of the music history component at the University of Perugia. During her studies, she did an internship at the AVRO’s Internet art and classical editorial department.

From 2005 to 2018, Maartje Stokkers was a regular presenter on NPO Radio 4. Among other programs, she presented The Friday of Vredenburg, The Sunday Afternoon Concert and the radio broadcast of the Prinsengracht Concert.

Daniel Reuss has been artistic director and chief conductor of Cappella Amsterdam, in which he had been singing for many years when he acquired that position. As a guest conductor, Daniel Reuss makes music with companies throughout Europe, including the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, MusikFabrik, Vocal Consort Berlin, Collegium Vocale Gent and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra.

He has been chief conductor of the RIAS Kammerchor in Berlin (2003-2006) and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir (2008-2013), among others, and has been permanent guest conductor of the Ensemble Vocal Lausanne since June 2015.

Music clips