Dear Friends of Arion,
Excelling from the many productions I am lucky to be looking forward to, during the current season, Bach’s St. John Passion holds a special place in my heart. This piece, like only few others, represents the absolute summit of mankind’s mind and spirit, and meeting its profoundly human thesaurus and eternally vivacious messages will always remain to be a continuous challenge to every serious musician.
Growing up in the German tradition of listening to Bach’s and Handel’s (and many more) oratorios, regularly and frequently performed even by non professional church choirs (a wonderful institution), and intimately knowing the score of Bach’s passions in particular (my thesis in musicology was based on an analysis of the recits in the St. Matthew passion), I feel privileged to finally not only perform, but also record this masterpiece together with the most prominent artists of nowadays early music scene and in the swing of an unusual, if not exceptional serendipity, realized in the cooperation of:
Arion, the orchestra known for its refined, sensitive sound and decades of experience in cultivating their ensemble identity;
Les Voix Baroques, the unique blend of world class soloists and simultaneously superb chorus/ensemble singers;
The outstanding occasion of having evangelist Jan Kobow and gambist/cellist Jaap Ter Linden working together;
The opportunity of realizing such rare and opulent project with the help of the Bach Festival Montreal;
The invaluable support of Atma Classique in recording this historic meeting of artists.
All in all, the exceptional encounter of singers and players promises an amazing and highly creative mix, and we shall all be thrilled to witness the beauty in one of the most prominent compositions in music history.
In anticipation of a very memorable event, with my best wishes for a successful and joyous season,
Alexander Weimann
