Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam
Concertgebouw Kamerorkest
Roder Jongenskoor
Boudewijn Jansen dirigent
Nikki Treurniet sopraan
Rosina Fabius mezzosopraan
Seil Kim tenor (evangelist)
Berend Eijkhout bas (Christus)
William Knight tenor
Joris van Baar bas

Bach's St. Matthew Passion
Nowhere is Bach's masterpiece about the suffering and death of Christ performed as much and attended as faithfully as in the Netherlands. Last year, the Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam celebrated the 125th anniversary of this tradition with a podcast.

The first performance of the St. Matthew Passion took place in 1727 in the Thomaskirche in Leipzig. The piece, in which major themes such as death, love and comfort are vividly expressed, fell into oblivion after Bach's death. The work has experienced a revival since 1829. In 1874, Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam sang its first St. Matthew Passion under the direction of Johannes Verhulst. In 1899, Willem Mengelberg performed the St. Matthew Passion for the first time as conductor of the Concertgebouw Orchestra with Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam. This marked the beginning of an annual tradition that has since been continued by Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam, and since 2016 by the Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra.