Sunday, February 23, 2020 saw a unique event at St. Mary’s Lutheran Cathedral in St. Petersburg: a performance of the St. Matthew Passion! For more than three and a half hours, the captivating sacred oratorio involving more than 100 performers, eighteenth-century instruments, and overwhelming choir singing told the story from the Gospel!
The St. Matthew Passion by J. S. Bach was first performed in Leipzig in 1736. The composition was performed in Churches during the Good Friday worship service, telling about the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.
More than 600 people gathered in St. Mary’s Cathedral to hear the St. Matthew Passion. The worship room and both balcony levels were filled with people. Rev. Mikhail Ivanov said a word of introduction.
Performers: the choir of the Büderich Evangelical Congregation conducted by Yekaterina Porizko, Meerbusch, Germany; the choir of the Norf-Nievenheim Evangelical Congregation conducted by David Jochim, Germany; Fortis Choir and the children’s choir of the Philharmonic Society conducted by Yekaterina Andreyeva, St. Petersburg, Russia; Baroque Orchestra, St. Petersburg/Moscow, Russia; soloists Ulrich Cordes (Cologne), Sebastian Klein (Düsseldorf), Lydia Zborschill (Stuttgart), Stella Antwerpen (Meerbusch), Oleg Sopunov (Zürich), Matthias Horn (Heilbronn), Germany.
Art director and conductor: Yekaterina Porizko.
Cordial thanks to the organizers and performers as well as the volunteers who selflessly assisted at this grand event!
Soli Deo Gloria! To God alone be glory!