16.03.2018
St Matthew Passion
St Matthew Passion, an oratorio by Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev), will be performed at the Mikhailovsky Theatre on 2 April.
The recital, dedicated to the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, is based on chapters 26 and 27 of the Gospel of Matthew and consists of four parts: The Last Supper, The Trial, The Crucifixion, and The Burial. The orchestral fugues, choral pieces, recitatives, and arias for soprano, contralto, tenor, and bass are all borrowed from Orthodox Church tradition.
„This production resembles a traditional oratorio only at first glance. In my view, it stands apart from all of the others that we know“, says conductor Ara Karapetian. „The magical combination of its canonical Orthodox text and exquisite music provokes some very striking emotional responses that are reminiscent of what people usually experience during worship at church. Performing this work certainly evokes a sense of the sacrament. And I’m confident that this magical effect will be experienced by performers and audience alike, allowing us to rise above the concerns of everyday life that follow us around. Nietzsche makes an interesting observation about Bach’s Passions. He wrote that those who have completely forgotten Christianity truly hear it here as Gospel. I’d draw some parallels between this perspective and the music that we will be performing on 2 April.“
The world première of Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev)’s St Matthew Passion took place on 27 March 2007. It was performed in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory by the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra and the Choir of the State Tretyakov Gallery, conducted by People’s Artist of the USSR Vladimir Fedoseyev. Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow spoke at the première, with Metropolitan Kirill (today Patriarch Kirill of Moscow) in attendance. The Vatican also supported the event. In the 10 years since its première, Metropolitan Hilarion’s composition has been widely performed across the world, from Kamchatka to Melbourne and Toronto. The oratorio was first performed on our stage under the baton of Ara Karapetian in March 2017.
Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev)’s work will be performed on 2 April by the orchestra, choir, and soloists of the Mikhailovsky Theatre, with the participation of Archdeacon Viktor Shilovsky.
The recital, dedicated to the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, is based on chapters 26 and 27 of the Gospel of Matthew and consists of four parts: The Last Supper, The Trial, The Crucifixion, and The Burial. The orchestral fugues, choral pieces, recitatives, and arias for soprano, contralto, tenor, and bass are all borrowed from Orthodox Church tradition.
„This production resembles a traditional oratorio only at first glance. In my view, it stands apart from all of the others that we know“, says conductor Ara Karapetian. „The magical combination of its canonical Orthodox text and exquisite music provokes some very striking emotional responses that are reminiscent of what people usually experience during worship at church. Performing this work certainly evokes a sense of the sacrament. And I’m confident that this magical effect will be experienced by performers and audience alike, allowing us to rise above the concerns of everyday life that follow us around. Nietzsche makes an interesting observation about Bach’s Passions. He wrote that those who have completely forgotten Christianity truly hear it here as Gospel. I’d draw some parallels between this perspective and the music that we will be performing on 2 April.“
The world première of Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev)’s St Matthew Passion took place on 27 March 2007. It was performed in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory by the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra and the Choir of the State Tretyakov Gallery, conducted by People’s Artist of the USSR Vladimir Fedoseyev. Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow spoke at the première, with Metropolitan Kirill (today Patriarch Kirill of Moscow) in attendance. The Vatican also supported the event. In the 10 years since its première, Metropolitan Hilarion’s composition has been widely performed across the world, from Kamchatka to Melbourne and Toronto. The oratorio was first performed on our stage under the baton of Ara Karapetian in March 2017.
Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev)’s work will be performed on 2 April by the orchestra, choir, and soloists of the Mikhailovsky Theatre, with the participation of Archdeacon Viktor Shilovsky.
