SEEN IN THE CONTEXT of its time, J. S. Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion” is a testament of unshakable Lutheran piety. In a less religious age, however, it is tempting to simply enjoy its abstract beauty— you don’t need an education in Protestant theology to be moved to the core by “Erbarme dich, mein Gott,” the duet for contralto and solo violin that is the most famous excerpt from the piece. For the director Peter Sellars, who spent his apprentice years in Boston with the musicians of Emmanuel Church, Bach’s music also has real-life use: in addition to its religious and aesthetic value, every cantata, he says, is a “mini twelve-step program,” and each long and elaborate melody offers a plan of action for a soul in crisis.
A fortunate few will…
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The New Yorker (Digital) - 1 Issue, Oct-06-14