27
Mar
2017
IA/IL QUAD-CITIES – In the sixth and final installment of the 2016-2017 Masterworks season, the Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) disembarks from its river theme to explore one of Johann Sebastian Bach’s greatest masterpieces. The St. Matthew Passion is a work of great depth and drama that explores the final days of Jesus Christ. The Quad City Symphony Orchestra, Quad City Choral Arts, the Augustana Choir, six vocal soloists, and two organs will merge talents onstage to create sublime music for this powerful event.
The concert will be held 7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 8, 2017, at the Adler Theatre, 136 E. 3rd St., Davenport. Please note that the Saturday evening performance will start a half-hour earlier than the usual 8 p.m. of past Masterworks evenings. The concert will also be held 2 p.m., Sunday, April 9, 2017, at Centennial Hall, Augustana College, 3703 7th Ave., Rock Island. Masterworks VI will be directed by Mark Russell Smith, Music Director and Conductor of the QCSO.
“The St. Matthew Passion was originally written in Bach’s native German,” said Smith. “To enhance the enjoyment and understanding for all, St. Matthew Passion will be performed in English. It was originally part of a Good Friday service when it was first performed. Bach assigned roles to different singers to tell a profoundly moving story from the Bible. It’s one of the great works of Western culture. It truly changes you as a person.”
“This musical event provides a rare opportunity for our community to experience,” said Benjamin Loeb, Executive Director of the QCSO. “The St. Matthew Passion is an extremely challenging piece to perform, and is one of the most rewarding for the listener. It depicts one of the most powerful events in human history: the death of Jesus Christ. It taps into the deepest of human emotions as it unveils a timeless tale of faith and redemption.”
The History of the St. Matthew Passion
Thomaskantor, or cantor at St. Thomas, is the common name for the musical director of the Thomanerchor, a boys' choir founded in 1212 in Leipzig, Germany. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750) was the most famous Thomaskantor from 1723 to 1750. The cantor prepared the choir for service in four Lutheran churches and also organized music for city functions.
In Christian music, a Passion is a setting of the Passion of Christ, which is the final period in the life of Jesus, covering his visit to Jerusalem and leading to his crucifixion. Most Passions were performed as part of church services in the Holy Week. As Thomaskantor, Johann Sebastian Bach provided Passion music for Good Friday services in Leipzig. St. Matthew Passion and St. John Passion are the most known Passion oratorios composed by Bach. An oratorio is a work composed for chorus and orchestra.
An Epic Performance
The St. Matthew Passion was written for a double choir, and for this performance, the choirs will be led by Jon Hurty, Director of the Augustana College Choir and Quad City Choral Arts. “Often in the St. Matthew Passion, the choirs go back and forth, creating a chaotic sense of the crowd,” said Hurty. “It adds to the intensity of the crowd scenes.” Hurty added that there are 85 singers total in the choirs, split between the two groups.
Just as the choir is divided, so is the Quad City Symphony Orchestra split into two smaller orchestras as well. “All of the performers and musicians are on the stage at the same time,” Hurty said. “The opportunity to see this piece live is an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience – and it is equally amazing for the singers and musicians who will be part of the performance.”
The St. Matthew Passion will feature many skilled soloists, including one who will sing the words of Jesus. These performers will be:
Daniel Lichti, Jesus
Dann Coakwell, Evangelist
Carine Tinney, Soprano
Adriana Zabala, Alto
William Ferguson, Tenor
Paul Max Tipton, Bass
“The St. Matthew Passion is a grandiose work that has withstood the test of time,” Loeb said. ‘We know that the audience will be awestruck by its depth, complexity, and sheer beauty.”
Masterworks VI is supported by the Regional Development Authority and Iowa Arts Council, as well as the Masterworks Media Sponsor, WQPT.
Quad City Symphony Orchestra tickets are available at the QCSO box office at 327 Brady St., Davenport. You can also call the QCSO at (563) 322-7276 or visit www.qcso.org.
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