The St. John: A Global Passion

Grete Pedersen, conductor
Clara Rottsolk, soprano
Abigail Nims, mezzo-soprano
Andrew Staples, tenor
Dashon Burton, bass-baritone
Festival Orchestra
Festival Chorale
VBA

The St. John Passion was performed for the first time on Good Friday in 1724 in the Nicolaikirche in Leipzig. To mark its 300th anniversary, the St. John Passion opens the 2024 festival season, lending great meaning to the season’s theme, “Passions,” and creating connections to the week’s concerts and recitals.  

The definition of ‘passion’ has many forms, from compelling and powerful emotions for someone or something, to the object of fondness or desire, and even violent anger. In its archaic form, it simply means “suffering.” Theologically, ‘passion’ refers to the sufferings of Christ on the cross, his suffering subsequent to the Last Supper, or the narrative of Christ’s suffering as recorded in the Gospels.

The St. John Passion explores global themes and suffering as well as humanity’s moral responsibility. J.S. Bach set the work in German, the local language, but we are presenting the St. John in several languages, including English, Spanish, Norwegian, Hebrew, Arabic, and German. The arias and choruses provide commentary and poetic contemplation on the oratorio Passion, which is comprised of biblical texts. Using multiple languages, we create the idea of a global, universal audience — understanding that suffering is expressed in every language - and humanity’s interconnectedness the world over.

Program:

St. John Passion, BWV 245 (114 minutes) | Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Part I

Intermission

Part II

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