Bach's St Matthew Passion
300 years ago, on April 11, 1727, Bach's St Matthew Passion premiered. Following the rediscovery of the masterpiece in the nineteenth century, the 'Matthäus' became an absolute favorite among music lovers in the Netherlands, partly thanks to the Concertgebouw Orchestra's Passion tradition. Johann Sebastian Bach simply set the story of the Passion to music in such an empathetic and compelling way that it leaves no one unmoved. This time, Leonardo García-Alarcón shares his vision of Bach's immortal masterpiece with you. The Baroque specialist made a great impression during his debut with the Concertgebouw Orchestra in 2022 and is a guest with the orchestra for the third time.
Concertgebouw Orchestra
The Concertgebouw Orchestra's annual performance of the Passion is one of the longest-running concert traditions in the world. In 1899, chief conductor Willem Mengelberg introduced the annual performance of Bach's mighty St Matthew Passion during Holy Week. Since 1975, the orchestra has alternated the Passion story according to Matthew with Bach's equally masterful St John Passion .