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Bach, St John Passion
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 March 2027 | ||||||
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Bach: St John Passion | Concert
Of the two surviving Passions by Bach, the St John Passion was the first to be composed, and the Cantor reworked it several times for different performances between 1724 and 1747.
At St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, Bach had a choir and instrumental ensemble seasoned enough to meet the virtuosic demands of the arias and choruses in this richly expressive Passion. He pushed rhetorical effects to their limits, highlighting both the dramatic and mournful qualities of the text. At the time, it was by far his most ambitious composition—and it remains one of the public’s favorites today, thanks to its extraordinary humanity.
Barely a year after arriving in Leipzig, Bach offered this first great masterpiece for Good Friday in 1724. These exceptional evenings will mark the 300th anniversary of the premiere of this monumental work. The Orchestre de l’Opéra Royal, conducted by Gaétan Jarry, will be joined by renowned soloists and the remarkable Tölzer Knabenchor.
Founded in 1956 near Munich, this boys’ choir is the heir to seven decades of choral excellence at the highest level. The choir—particularly its boy soloists—has performed worldwide, collaborating with the likes of Herbert von Karajan, Wolfgang Sawallisch, James Levine, and Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Today, it is considered the finest boys’ choir, especially dazzling in the sacred German repertoire, which the boys perform with the joy of singing in their native language: unforgettable!
Les Productions de l’Opéra Royal.
Prestige VIP – Best seats in the house, including a glass of champagne and the show program.
Prestige – Includes a complimentary glass of champagne.
Program and cast
James Way Evangelist, tenor
Robert Pohlers, Tenor
Sreten Manojlović, Jesus, bass-baritone
Morgan Pearce, Pilate, baritone
Tölzer Knabenchor
Orchestre de l’Opéra Royal
Gaétan Jarry, Conductor
Programme
Concert in German with French surtitles.
Royal Chapel of Versailles
The Royal Chapel was finished in 1710 at the end of Louis XIV’s reign. Jules Hardouin-Mansart proposed the plan to the King in 1669. The First Architect died in 1708 without seeing the end of the works which were taken over by his brother-in-law Robert De Cotte. The reigning monarch only came for major religious festivals where he received communion, for ceremonies of the Order of Saint-Esprit, for the baptisms and weddings of the royal children celebrated from 1710 to 1789. This exceptional palatine chapel was also used for a wide range of religious ceremonies, including the marriage of Archduchess Marie-Antoinette with the future Louis XVI.
Above the altar, around the organ by Clicquot decorated with a fine relief of King David, played by great masters like François Couperin, the Chapel’s music, famous all over Europe, sung motets everyday during all religious services. Today Handel’s Dixit Dominus or Messiah, Bach’s Oratorios, Magnificat, Cantatas or Passions, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater or Charpentier’s Te Deum ring out in this majestic architecture.
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