Matthäus Passion '27

Bach's St. Matthew Passion
Bach's masterpiece about the suffering and death of Christ is performed nowhere as frequently and attended as faithfully as in the Netherlands. The first performance took place in 1727 in the Thomaskirche in Leipzig. The work, in which major themes such as death, love and comfort are powerfully expressed, fell into obscurity after Bach's death. Since 1829 the work experienced a revival. In 1874 Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam sang its first St. Matthew Passion under the direction of Johannes Verhulst. In 1899 Willem Mengelberg conducted the St. Matthew Passion for the first time as conductor of the Concertgebouworkest with Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam. This marked the beginning of an annual tradition that has been maintained ever since by Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam, and from 2016 onwards with the Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra. Also listen to the podcast 'Living with the St. Matthew Passion' that Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam made in 2024 when the tradition was 125 years old.

Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam
Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam, founded in 1829, is an ambitious and versatile concert choir. The 80 trained amateur singers perform Bach's St. Matthew Passion alongside well-known works such as Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and the Requiems by Mozart and Verdi, but the repertoire also includes works by Stravinsky, Ravel, Egon Kracht and Tippett. Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam frequently receives invitations from professional orchestras to collaborate on concerts. Last summer, for example, we performed Rufus Wainwright's Dream Requiem with the Dutch Philharmonic Orchestra. The choir also produces at least one of its own productions per season. Additionally, Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam regularly commissions new compositions. Since 2003, Boudewijn Jansen has been the conductor of the choir.

Websites: Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam | Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra