Freiburger Barockorchester: Johannes-Passion
- Location:
- Kultur- und Kongresszentrum Liederhalle - Mozartsaal, Berliner Platz 1, 70174 Stuttgart
- Date
- April 8, 2025, 8:00 PM
The Freiburg Baroque Orchestra and the vocal ensemble Vox Luminis under the direction of Lionel Meunier bring Johann Sebastian Bach's dramatic St. John Passion to life with its unique imagery and emotional intensity.
Let the powerful music and the perfect harmony between orchestra and ensemble transport you into the world of Bach's masterpiece!
Johann Sebastian Bach:
St. John Passion BWV 245
Raphael Höhn, Evangelist
Vox Luminis
Freiburger Barockorchester
Lionel Meunier, conductor
The composer Hans Werner Henze said of Johann Sebastian Bach's St. John Passion: "This music expresses things that no one had dared, no one had been able or even attempted to say in words before." John Eliot Gardiner attests to the "unrivaled imagery" of the Passion's opening chorus. It is precisely this imagery, coupled with highly complex compositional artistry, that makes Bach's Passions so unique. Although the "St. John Passion", which was criticized by Bach's contemporaries as being too "operatic", was always overshadowed by the "St. Matthew Passion", it can certainly stand up to direct comparison.
However, a comparison of the two works only makes limited sense. While the "St. Matthew Passion" is considered contemplative, the St. John Passion is described as dramatic. This is primarily due to the different accounts of the Passion by the two evangelists. Due to the textual template, the Passion according to St. John is not only shorter, but also more pointed, sometimes even more aggressive.
However, all comparisons are superfluous if you devote yourself entirely to the fantastic music, for which the Belgian vocal ensemble Vox Luminis, with whom we are already performing Bach's "Mass in B minor" in October, is the ideal music-making partner. The ensemble members' clear voices, flawless intonation and precise pronunciation harmonize perfectly with Bach's works.
Free introductory lecture at 7.15 pm in the Mozart Hall
Free arrival and departure by public transport: use of the VVS is included in the ticket.