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Johann Sebastian Bach, St. Matthew's Passion, BWV 244

John Nelson conducts Bach's St Matthew Passion, BWV 244

Ensemble orchestral de Paris, with Werner Güra (The Evangelist) and Stephen Morscheck (Jésus)

Cast

Werner Güra — Tenor

Stephen Morscheck — Bass

Lucy Crowe — Soprano

Christine Rice — Mezzo-soprano

Nicholas Phan — Tenor

Matthew Brook — Bass

Christophe Coin — Gambist

Maîtrise de Paris, Patrick Marco

Program notes

Some say that St Matthew Passion is a sort of biblical western. It features, as director Pasolini showed so well, a revolutionary Christ freshly arrived in Roman-occupied Palestine.

The wide landscapes of the West – or rather, the Middle East – are rendered through not only two choirs but also two orchestras, not to mention six different soloists and a whole maîtrise. Bach is almost the predecessor to Cecil B. de Mille's peplums and to Dolby Stereo™.

Action? Why yes, one of the best scripts ever written, the Gospel of Matthew. Sets? Amazing orchestral storms. But where is the camera, you ask – it is the point of view adopted by the composer: the sublime arias, the solos, alternately virtuoso and meditative, the fervent choir moments expressing solidarity.

Experienced oratorio director John Nelson will be joined by wonderful singers for this piece, starting with Werner Güra, the Evangelist tenor of the moment. He is the singer-narrator, the one who tells the story; Bach's work seems destined for him. His Christmas oratorio with Harnoncourt has become a reference, and he just recorded a version of this Passion with Herreweghe.

Like Saint-Denis' Basilica, the St Matthew Passion carries the weight of a strong history. Like the Basilica, it is a monumental achievement, a construction elevating the soul.

Materials courtesy of Soli Deo Gloria, Inc. Soli Deo Gloria, Inc.

     – Soli Deo Gloria on Facebook  

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