Matthäus Passion van Bach

The 'Matthäus Passion'; the masterpiece full of drama, full of human emotions. The way Johann Sebastian Bach cast this into music is a wonder. It continues to fascinate, year after year. Incidentally, we have fellow composer Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy to thank for that, who showed the immense power of the piece to the world again 100 years after its premiere.

Fortunately, we have not let go of the 'Matthäus' since then. For conductor Patrick van der Linden, Bach's message is in one word: love. In almost every aria, it is about love. In the aria 'Aus Liebe', when the bass instruments are silent, love itself becomes heavenly. The cross? Tears? Betrayal? Guilt? Of course. But love shines through everything.

The 'Matthäus Passion' holds up a mirror to us; it lets us look at the person we are and at the people around us. With goodwill and love we come closer to each other. A message for all times, and certainly also for ours.