Join us for our annual broadcast of the St. Matthew Passion of Johann Sebastian Bach this Good Friday, March 30th, starting a few minutes after 12 noon.
One of the supreme monuments in Western music, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion is a two-part masterpiece, composed in 1727, which recounts the last days of Christ leading to his Crucifixion.
The sacred oratorio fell into obscurity for decades after Bach's death in 1750. Composer Felix Mendelssohn's production of the work in 1829 helped spark the modern Bach revival.
The recording featured in this year’s broadcast is by well-known Bach specialist Helmut Rilling, leading the Bach Collegium Stuttgart, with soloists Alfredo Kraus, Sigmund Nimsgern, Arleen Auger, Julia Hamari, and the Gachinger Kantorei.
Hear it in its entirety on Good Friday, beginning a few minutes after 12 noon, on WRTI 90.1. Happy Easter from all of us at WRTI.