Company

Singer

Tenor

Vincent Lièvre-Picard

Evangelist

Bass

Thomas Van Essen

Pilate

Soprano

Eugénie Lefebvre

Mezzo-soprano

Laura Müller

Contralto

Matthieu Chapuis

Matthieu Heim

Lille

France

Le Concert d'Astrée

Denis Comtet

Conductor

Choir

Béthune

Eglise Saint-Vaast

Maubeuge

Eglise Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul

Calais

Eglise Notre-Dame

Choir of the Astrée Concert

Ensemble Hémiolia

La Passion selon Saint-Jean

Johannes-Passion Bach,JS

Public

Oratorio / Orchestral

St John Passion

Approved

The Hemiolia ensemble and the choir of the Concert d'Astrée, under the direction of Denis Comtet, join forces for a magnificent production based on the majestic St. John Passion by Jean-Sébastien Bach. 

Performed for the first time on Good Friday in 1724 in Leipzig, the work is part of a very ancient tradition which consisted in setting to music the biblical text of the last days of Christ's life, during Holy Week. After the Lutheran Reformation, the translation of the Bible into the vernacular made the story accessible to as many people as possible. In this line, Bach, himself a Lutheran, made a commitment when he arrived in Leipzig, to provide music “that inspires listeners to piety”. Probably influenced by the Italian opera of the time, he then composed a rich score where the alternation of recitatives, arias and choruses underlines the dramatic intensity of the biblical story. 

Inspired by a millennial religious fervor, music and text mingle in a whole where the text becomes penetrating to the extent of the deployment of the rich palette of colors and vocal and orchestral textures. From the first to the last note, from the arrest of Jesus to his death, the drama is embodied in a veritable liturgical opera, at the height of the oratorio genre.

La Passion selon Saint-Jean by Johann Sebastian Bach, From Le Concert d'Astrée (2022/2022), Conductor Denis Comtet

Credits (Cast & Crew)

Le Concert d'Astrée

Denis Comtet

Cast

Vincent Lièvre-Picard

Thomas Van Essen

Eugénie Lefebvre

Laura Müller

Matthieu Chapuis

Matthieu Heim

Crew

Ensemble

Choir of the Astrée Concert

Ensemble Hémiolia

Program, About & Synopsis

Photos 1

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues 3