Johann Sebastian Bach: St. Matthew Passion

Conductor: Frank Markowitsch. Freiburger Bachchor and Freiburger Bachorchester Performers:

Marie Luise Werneburg, soprano
Marie Henriette Reinhold, alto
Benedikt Kristjansson, tenor (Evangelist and arias)
Markus Eiche, bass (arias)
Felix Schwandtke, bass (Christ)

Freiburger Bachchor | Freiburger Bachorchester
Conductor: Frank Markowitsch

Johann Sebastian Bach's "St. Matthew Passion" is a work of superlatives: not only is it Bach's most extensive composition in terms of duration and performance practice, it is also considered the most important of all Passion settings and one of the pinnacles of Western culture. No other Bach composition has been written about so frequently; publications range from detailed monographs to specialized text-critical studies.

The Freiburg Bach Choir also has a special relationship with Bach's masterpiece: it is the work with which Theodor Egel founded the choir in 1944 - 80 years ago. His call for the first performance of the piece in Freiburg Minster was answered by 180 singers, most of whom were students at University campus Freiburg. This and the two subsequent performances in Freiburg's Festhalle were attended by more than 7,000 spectators. The choir has since performed the work over 90 times.