AND YOU MUST SUFFER / St.John Passion/Bach
From opposing claims on the truth to reconciliatory noises
Pierre Audi locates Bach's St. John Passion in an austere set inspired by Wim Delvoye's images. The passion questions the opposing claims on the truth found in religions and the conflicts it causes. Iconoclast Delvoye looks right through these truths with X-ray eyes, reducing them to a meagre pile of mouse bones. The Israeli-Palestinian composer Samir Odeh-Tamimi provides a welcoming sound of reconciliation when Western avant-garde and ancient Sufi sounds dance affectionately around each other.
The St John Passion was the first passion that Bach composed in Leipzig after he was appointed cantor in 1723. In this way he wanted to prove himself to his new audience on Good Friday 1724. The text combines poetry with the Biblical story of the Passion, the music swings between narrative recitatives and choruses, lyrical and contemplative arias and devout chorales. In the arias, unusual instruments like the viola d’amore and the oboe da caccia sometimes converse with the vocal soloists.
music Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Johannes-Passion BWV 245, Samir Odeh-Tamimi (1970), new composition (commissioned by Klarafestival), Annelies Van Parys (1975), new composition (commissioned by Klarafestival) | conductor Andreas Spering | singers Jakob Pilgram (tenor), Dominik Köninger (baritone), Grace Davidson (soprano), Benno Schachtner (countertenor), Magnus Staveland (tenor), Tomáš Král (bass), orchestra B'Rock Orchestra | choir NFM Choir | director Pierre Audi | images Wim Delvoye | video Mirjam Devriendt & Vincent Dunoyer | set design Roel Van Berckelaer | stage lighting Peter Quasters | production Muziektheater Transparant & B'Rock Orchestra | co-production Klarafestival, Kaaitheater, De Munt/La Monnaie, NFM Choir, Wroclaw National Forum of Music, Polish Institute Brussels | commission Klarafestival / Flanders Festival Brussels to Samir Odeh-Tamimi, Muziektheater Transparant to Annelies Van Parys
