United States Matthew is the First Saint in Seattle’s 2-Week Passions Project
In a collaboration of high interest and perhaps unprecedented scope, the Seattle Symphony is joining forces with Stephen Stubbs’s Pacific MusicWorks early-music ensemble to present both Bach’s St. Matthew Passion and his St. John Passion in the space of two weeks, featuring the same team of soloists in both works, and utilizing the contrasting spaces and acoustics of Benaroya Hall’s two auditoriums.
The opening performances of the St. Matthew, conducted by Ludovic Morlot, took place on February 21 and 22. The St. John, for which tickets are still available, will be performed at 8 p.m. on Saturday March 1 and 2 p.m. on Sunday March 2. Stubbs (who played lute continuo and obbligato in the St. Matthew) will conduct. And if the superlative standard of what was heard these past days is anything to go by, it would be a big mistake for anyone able to attend on the coming weekend to pass up that opportunity. Watch this site for a combined review of both sets of performances.
Bernard Jacobson