Netherlands Bach Society: Bach's St Matthew Passion

St. Matthew Passion

When world-famous musician Pablo Casals was asked if he could agree that the St. Matthew Passion is the greatest work in music history, he replied: "I agree with that a thousand times over." Bach wrote his St. Matthew Passion about the suffering and death of Jesus in Leipzig. He also cherished his St. Matthew, for two orchestras, two choirs and various soloists, as a special feature. When the first pages of the score were damaged, Bach restored them very carefully, cutting and pasting strips of paper to complete the score.

Dutch Bach Society

There is no country in the world where the passion tradition is as rich as in the Netherlands. Almost two hundred performances of Bach's St. Matthew Passion occur every year shortly before Easter, and the Dutch Bach Society provides one of the most authoritative performances. The body piece of the Bach Society, written for the evening service of Good Friday, is anchored in Dutch musical life. The religious background of the audience plays no role: the universal story of love and sacrifice touches everyone.