St. Matthew Passion
Bach Choir and Orchestra of the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, the St. Matthew Passion is regarded as the favourite Passion composition and is firmly rooted in our culture. The Bach Choir & Orchestra of the Netherlands is uniquely placed to convey the symbolism, emotion and comfort to you, the listener.
In 1996, conductor Pieter Jan Leusink founded The Bach Orchestra of the Netherlands, consisting of musicians specialised in the performance of Baroque music. The passionate musicians play authentic instruments from this style period, which results in a specific sound colour of the baroque orchestra. The orchestra's tuning is a semitone lower than that of a modern orchestra: A=415Hz instead of A=440Hz.
Authentic instruments from the classical period are also played during performances of Mozart's Requiem, for example. The tuning is A=430Hz. Conductor Pieter Jan Leusink and his musicians are constantly searching for the ultimate interpretations of Bach's compositions in particular. The traditional performances of Bach's St. Matthew Passion have become the most visited in the Netherlands, with 40,000 visitors annually.
In 2006, a professional choir was added to the orchestra: The Bach Choir of the Netherlands. This is the only baroque ensemble in the Netherlands that works with a permanent line-up and in this way has grown into one of the leading choirs in the international performance of early music. With more than 80 concerts each year, The Bach Choir & Orchestra of the Netherlands, conducted by Pieter Jan Leusink, has become an important provider of classical concerts in the Dutch music world.
The enormous flexibility of all musicians contributes to the great differentiation in the programming. Bach's St. Matthew Passion switches effortlessly to Mozart's Requiem, and the same flexibility is shown musically in both Allegri's world-famous Misereri mei and Fauré's Requiem.
During the concerts, a great involvement of the musicians is visible, which ensures performances that are sparkling, full of emotion and spirituality and with an unprecedented loyalty to the compositions that are performed. Not least, the hand of artistic director and conductor Pieter Jan Leusink is visible.