Bach: Matthew’s Passion
Freiburger Barockorchester / Vox Luminis / Raphael Höhn / Lionel Meunier
Eastertime classic
What would Easter be without the St Matthew Passion? Johann Sebastian Bach’s mammoth Baroque oratorio is performed countless times every year on Good Friday: be it in the city or the country, be the performers amateurs or professionals – the enthusiasm for the work far surpasses any inhibitions about its length and the huge ensemble required. And »huge« is no exaggeration: the Thomaskantor calls for two choirs and two orchestras here, plus a number of soloists.
By the same token, the length of the score is nothing if not generous: it lasts for a good three hours. But three hours of fantastic music are a pleasure to listen to – and all the moreso when the performers are as fine as in this Elbphilharmonie concert: with the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra and Vox Luminis, we hear two top ensembles whose main focus is Baroque repertoire.
On the rostrum is Vox Luminis founder Lionel Meunier, an internationally sought-after conductor with a worldwide reputation for his lively and historically accurate readings of Baroque music. A first-class group of soloists, led by tenor Raphael Höhn as the Evangelist rounds off the outstanding cast. Easter 2023 is something to look forward to!
Performers
Freiburger Barockorchester
Vox Luminis
Hamburger Knabenchor
Zsuzsi Tóth soprano
Viola Blacher soprano
Gwendoline Blondeel soprano
Alexander Chance alto
William Shelton countertenor
Raphael Höhn evangelist
Florian Sievers tenor
Raffaele Giordani tenor
Sebastian Myrus Jesus
Felix Schwandtke bass
director Lionel Meunier
Programme
Johann Sebastian Bach
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244
Estimated end time
23:00
Live Broadcast
The concert will be broadcast live in the Elbphilharmonie Mediatheque.