St. Matthew Passion

Betrayal, condemnation, death and unconditional love: it’s all there in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. The piece combines the most horrific with the most beautiful, never failing to astonish and move the listener, whether religious or not. The Netherlands Bach Society has performed the St. Matthew Passion every year since 1922. This year, the famous Baroque conductor and long-time friend of the Netherlands Bach Society, Lars Ulrik Mortensen, continues this tradition.    
 
Although Bach uses religious texts in the St. Matthew Passion, Mortensen focuses on the universal, deeper meaning of the words. ‘Bach writes with craftsmanship, both feet on the ground; he understands the human condition and all our emotions like no other. He created music that is absolutely divine, yet always relatable through the recognition of the human aspect,’ says Mortensen. It is worth noting that Bach is at his absolute best in the arias, including Aus Liebe, Erbarme Dich and Mache dich mein herze rein.