Johannes Passion BWV 245 (1724) Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Passion first performed at the St. Thomas church in Leipzig on Good Friday, 7 April 1724
musical direction: Philippe Pierlot staging: Calixto Bieito dramaturgy: Bettina Auer scenography: Aída Leonor Guardia costumes: Ingo Krügler lights: Michael Bauer
Evangelist : Joshua Ellicott Jesus : Benjamin Appl Soprano : Lenneke Ruiten Alto : Carlos Mena Tenor : Robert Murray Bass/Pilate : Andreas Wolf
Filming : François Roussillon
Chœur de Paris Les Talens Lyriques
Filmed by FRA Prod on Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 May 2021
Broadcasted on Friday 4 June 2021 and available during 6 month on the Operavision plateforme
A key work by Johann Sebastian Bach, the Saint John Passion paints a monumental fresco that is a pure masterpiece of sacred art.
In April 1724, Bach had already been working as a director of music in Leipzig for some months when he proposed his Saint John Passion. It was composed for Holy Week and is rooted in German musical tradition, based on the biblical text as paraphrased by Luther himself. Its immense theatrical impact derives not only from the score’s impressive architecture but also from its powerful narrative elements, the expressive force of its choral parts, the beauty of its arias, and the spirit of communion generated by its choruses. Everything here converges round the timeless mystery with which believers are confronted: the putting to death of their Lord. The music is driven by a dramatic rhetoric that carries the listener with it from beginning to end.
https://youtu.be/5sGHlk4DuxY
