Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam sings Bachs Matthäus-Passion

Bach's St Matthew Passion

Nowhere is Bach's masterpiece about the Passion and Death of Christ performed and visited so faithfully as in the Netherlands. The first performance took place in 1727 in the Thomaskirche in Leipzig. The piece, in which major themes such as death, love and consolation are penetratingly expressed, fell into oblivion after Bach's death. Since 1829 the work experienced a revival. In 1874 Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam sang its first Matthäus under the direction of Johannes Verhulst. In 1899, Willem Mengelberg performed the St Matthew Passion for the first time as conductor of the Concertgebouw Orchestra with Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam. This was the start of an annual tradition that has been honored ever since by Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam, and from 2016 by the Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra.

Toonkunst choir Amsterdam

Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam, founded in 1829, is an ambitious and versatile concert choir. In addition to Bach's St Matthew Passion, the 80 trained amateur singers sing well-known works such as Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and the requiems by Mozart and Verdi, but the repertoire also includes Sweelinck, Liszt, Stravinsky, Ravel, Manneke and Egon Kracht. Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam often receives invitations from professional orchestras to participate in concerts. The choir also performs its own production at least once a season. Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam also regularly gives composition assignments. Boudewijn Jansen has been conductor of the choir since 2003.