Bach: St Matthew Passion
Bach’s sorrowful commemoration of Jesus’ final hours is sculpted into a gripping drama by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, directed by Jonathan Cohen.
From intimate grief to monumental crowd scenes, the St Matthew Passion is Bach’s most profound musical testimony. First performed in 1727 and revised until late in his life, in the St Matthew Passion is a work of compelling theatricality.
The drama is heightened by the collaboration between Bach and his librettist, Picander and the technically deft layering of gospel texts and Lutheran chorales with meditations for soloists. The audience is thrust into the heart of the drama by the decision to make the choir active participants in the drama, almost as if they are standing in Pilate’s courtyard.
Jonathan Cohen’s reputation has soared in recent years through his work with Arcangelo, the ensemble he founded, his appointment as music director of Boston’s Handel and Haydn Society and with the OAE at Glyndebourne.
He is joined by a cast of prized exponents of historically informed performance, including Nick Pritchard as the Evangelist and countertenor Iestyn Davies.
Performers
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Jonathan Cohen conductor
Nick Pritchard tenor, Evangelist
Florian Störtz bass-baritone, Christus
Anna Dennis soprano
Iestyn Davies countertenor
Hugo Hymas tenor
Thomas Bauer baritone
Choir of the Age of Enlightenment
Repertoire
Bach: St Matthew Passion (performed in German)
Need to know
For your visit
This event is held at the Royal Festival Hall Southbank Centre
The Royal Festival Hall is open six days a week.
Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 11pm
Monday, closed.
Plan your visit
The Royal Festival Hall is home to our largest auditorium as well as The Clore Ballroom, National Poetry Library, Members’ Lounge, Festival Bar & Kitchen, Ballroom Cafe and Skylon restaurant.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
We’re cash-free
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Food & drink
On Level 2 of our Royal Festival Hall you can grab a slice of life by the Thames with drinks and freshly made pizza at our Festival Bar & Kitchen which opens out onto our Riverside Terrace. You can grab a coffee and a slice of freshly made cake from our Ballroom Cafe. Or alternatively enjoy destination dining in the restaurant at Skylon.
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.