A world without the music of Johann Sebastian Bach seems unimaginable. But it wasn’t always so. After his death, Bach was largely forgotten, of purely academic interest, until an enthusiastic young composer, Felix Mendelssohn, decided to revive his reputation. And he did it with a monumental performance of the St Matthew Passion, a century after its premiere in 18th-century Leipzig.
In this Australian premiere, we’re performing Mendelssohn’s version of this masterwork, transformed for 19th-century audiences and Romantic ears – and for the first time in Australia, on period instruments with historically informed performance. This version is shorter with a tighter narrative, but expanded in volume and colour. It includes sounds Bach might only have imagined, with clarinets and basset horns added to the orchestra, a substantial organ part, and richer textures. It’s beautiful Baroque, lightly painted with lush Romantic colours.
This is a rare opportunity to experience, two centuries on, how another generation of music lovers came to discover the genius of Bach.
