2. Internationales Musikfest Hamburg
The Hamburg State Opera has invited one of the most visually powerful - and at the same time controversial - contemporary theatre makers to open the 2nd Hamburg International Music Festival. Romeo Castellucci works with absolute artistic consistency and radicality outside of comfort zones, already provoking a few theatre scandals.
Castellucci’s interpretation of Bach's epochal »St Matthew Passion« is awaited with great anticipation. The passion zeros in directly at the heart of Christian belief, namely the redemption of humanity through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. Castellucci’s central question is: can we, today’s audience, bear to witness this Man of Sorrows as described by Matthew? Castellucci transforms his contemplations into a spectacular scenic realisation, which directly addresses the audience and also interacts with its special stage location, the Deichtorhallen.
Taking charge musically is Hamburg’s newly arrived general music director Kent Nagano, together with the Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra and superb collaborators led by British tenor Ian Bostridge.
Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg
Audi Jugendchorakademie choir
Ian Bostridge tenor
Hayoung Lee soprano
Christina Gansch soprano
Dorottya Láng mezzo-soprano
Bernard Richter tenor
Philippe Sly bass baritone
conductor Kent Nagano
Romeo Castellucci concept, staging, set design, costume design, light design
Silvia Costa artistic collaboration
Maroussia Vaes collaboration stage
Johann Sebastian Bach
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244
Estimated end time
22:45
2nd Hamburg International Music Festival
Promoter: Staatsoper Hamburg
A production of the Hamburg State Opera in cooperation with the Deichtorhallen Hamburg