“Hearing the Bach Passion performed at Easter is a spiritual experience. You do not even need to be a believer to enjoy it – you just have to be a music lover. Year after year, La Seine Musicale has maintained this tradition. Just when we think we know everything about Bach and his Passions, Leonardo García Alarcón proves us wrong. In the space of a few minutes, he manages to lift us to new heights, allowing us to breathe in crisp air as we crest over ridges and peaks.“
Didier Lamare
“It was truly a shock. A moment of rare musical, spiritual and human strength. For the first time in his career, Leonardo García was conducting the work that was closest to his heart.”
Marc Dumont for Première Loge
The St Matthew Passion was likely written for Good Friday in 1727. It recounts the story of Christ’s last days, according to the First Gospel. Bach skillfully reworked this liturgical music into a veritable sacred opera, using his theatrical savviness to move his audience. The breathtaking beauty of his arias, his dramatic intelligence and aptitude at mixing styles and genres make this work an edifying and spiritually elevating experience. Audiences are bound to be transported by Leonardo García Alarcón’s dramatic instincts as he leads his ensembles, Cappella Mediterranea and the Chœur de Chambre de Namur, alongside a stellar cast.
“Watching a performance of the most celebrated passion is always a special experience, thanks to the infinite beauty of the score and the dark allure of this seminal story. This version shocked us from the very first notes. We are used to hearing an opening that is measured and introspective, with voices that constantly seek beauty and tend towards a lament. Here, the audience was electrified by the expansive sound of an orchestra of forty odd musicians. The two ensembles sat side by side as the conductor alternated between opposition and dialogue. We were immediately gripped by his conducting style, which put us at the heart of this violent tragedy. After all, this passion is a tragedy in the strongest sense of the word. Death, the inevitable ending, is announced from the outset. The vast choral opening becomes a cry of refusal and revolt in the face of the inescapable. There is a total dramatisation of musical discourse and all the instruments are carried by this surge of rage. It is a version of Bach that moves forward, even as time is torn apart, buoyed by an orchestra that is rich in contrast and detail.”
Marc Dumont for Première Loge
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“Leonardo García Alarcón has taken advantage of the rich acoustics and layout of La Seine Musicale’s Patrick Devedjian Auditorium, placing the choirs in different parts of the stage and the hall. It results in a multitude of sonic experiences that surprise us and give rise to great emotion. The entrances and exits have been meticulously staged so that the overall discourse of the work is never disrupted or even disturbed. […]
Leonardo García Alarcón’s conducting is true to form – active without being superfluous and attentive at every level without rushing. It shows how well he has mastered this union of different spatial ensembles and the sometimes complex counterpoint, all while remaining humble. The Chœur de chambre de Namur and Chœur de l’Opéra de Dijon are incredibly homogenous and synchronised, despite the distance and isolation. There are still some rough edges that need to be worked out when the choral artists approach audience members, but the storm aria tames the waters. The conductor’s ample and precise gestures bring us safely back to port with a few angelic solos by the choral artists, which are always clear, present and well-phrased.”
Emmanuel Deroeux for Olyrix
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20h00
Seine Musicale
Boulogne Billancourt, France
20h00
Auditorium Robert Poujade, Opéra de Dijon
Dijon, France