St. Matthew Passion by Bach, J. S., Dom 11 Iúil 2021, Ó (2021/2021), Seoltóir Simon Halsey, Palau de la Música Catalana, Barcelona, Spain

To speak of the Passion according to St. Matthew is also to speak of the recovery of ancient music; after Bach's death the work fell into oblivion. At that time the religious music of the Lutheran environment had a practical purpose and it was difficult, therefore, for the works to have repercussions outside the churches. Composer and conductor Felix Mendelssohn reinterpreted the Passion in 1829, conducting an abbreviated version adapted to the aesthetic tastes of the time. From then on, the reinterpretation of this work aroused great interest in the study of Bach's works. In Catalonia, this recovery took place 100 years ago at the Palau de la Música Catalana. In February 1921, the Orfeó Català reached a historic milestone by scheduling the first audition in Catalonia and in Spain according to Sant Mateu. The work presents the suffering and death of Christ according to the Gospel of St. Matthew. It is written for a group of instruments and two choirs. The words of Christ are accompanied by strings, while the other characters are accompanied only by the basso continuo. The exception occurs when Christ utters his last words: the strings no longer accompany a Christ in whom human nature emerges. To commemorate that February 1921, the Orfeó Català together with the soloists of the Berliner Philharmoniker and the musicians of the Orquestra Simfònica Camera Musicae once again performed the Passion at the Palau de la Música Catalana.