The "Great Passion" Comes to Peoria

The Peoria Bach Festival 2010 will be held from Friday, June 4 through Friday, June 11. This year, it will present what Bach's wife Anna Magadelana referred to as "der grosse Passion" or "the great Passion." She was referring to the St. Matthew Passion.

Bach's St. Matthew Passion is a work of monumental proportions and is so profound that it is still performed at colleges, universities, churches, and concert halls all across the world today. Besides a few extra soloists, the work requires two choirs, two orchestras, and a children's choir. The great American conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein says this about the opening chorus:

"Suddenly the chorus breaks into two antiphonal choruses. 'See him!' cries the first one. 'Whom?' asks the second. And the first answers: 'The Bridegroom see. See Him!' 'How?' 'So like a Lamb.' And then over and against all this questioning and answering and throbbing, the voices of a boy's choir sing out the chorale tune, 'O Lamb of God Most Holy,' piercing through the worldly pain with the icy-clear truth of redemption. The contrapuntal combination of the three different choruses is thrilling. There is nothing like it in all music."

Besides the many concerts and events surrounding the presentation of the St. Matthew Passion, other featured events include the annual Peoria Bach Festival Young Artists' Concert, a full organ recital by Peoria native Jonathan Wessler, and another appearance by Mr. Bach himself in a program entitled "Mr. Bach Gets Into Trouble."

Please check the schedule page for a complete listing of events or follow these links to download a poster and the description of events.

For a fuller description of the St. Matthew Passion and the complete text posted at Minnesota Public Radio, please click here. To enjoy some video highlights from the Peoria Bach Festival 2009, click on the player below.

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Soli Deo Gloria!

bachstage pass

Peoria Bach Festival Photo Gallery

Photos from past festivals

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Bach, the Musical Magician

Slideshow of Hey Kids! Meet Mr. Bach 2008

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Music from past festivals

Streaming audio from past concerts

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