Theater

Bach at the crossroads of cultures

A contemporary St Matthew Passion for a new age. With beloved Erbarme dich by Johann Sebastian Bach in an arrangement with Arabic ud and o Haubt voll Blut und Wunden alongside Afro-Surinamese lamentations. Aus Liebe enters into a musical dialogue with ancient Indian ragas. With Bach's famous passion as a basis, century-old connections between cultures come to life. The story of today's world is told in seven musical languages: about hunger, hope and the struggle for a better world. Ancient stories offer comfort, insight and a new perspective on our times.

The Last Supper and the Food Crisis

Theme  of the Passion of 2023 is the global food crisis. With music and stories about hunger, food, fasting from different cultures. About the last supper, the Indonesian rice goddess Dewi Sri, the maize mothers from the Americas and the meaning of fasting during Ramadan. Stories about struggle and sacrifice, but also about hope for a new beginning.

The phenomenal soprano Madeline Elizabeth Saputra performs the soprano arias and Indonesian songs about Dewi Sri, Shwan Sulaiman recites mystical Arabic poetry, Itzel Medegico sings Bach's mezzo arias as well as Mexican son and baritone Sinan Vural sings the beautiful arias and Turkish mystic songs. Chetna Sahni Sehgal sings Hindu bhavans, the virtuoso ud player Haytham Safia plays melodies from Galilee. Dancer Vanessa Felter leads this ceremony for a new era. Together the musicians tell stories of loss and resurrection. A performance like a good conversation, full of beauty and reconciliation.

'It is a joy to experience… sincere and moving, and multicultural in the most literal sense of the word; the diversity of society is unemphatically shown. Today's passion deserves to grow into a new tradition.' - Theaterkrant

Team

Miranda Lakerveld: director/artistic director

Madeline Elizabeth Saputra: soprano

Itzel Medecigo: mezzo-soprano

Sinan Vural: baritone

Vanessa Felter: dance/storyteller

Chetna Sahni Sehgal: sitar/vocals

Shwan Sulaiman: vocals/saz

Haytham Safia: ud

Emmy Storms: violin

Utku Geçgel: piano

Vincent Martig: clarinet

Costumes: Jantine Kraaijeveld

Video: Siavash Naghshbandi