On March 12, 2022, The Music Center’s L.A. Opera, with the Hamburg Ballet gifted the L.A. audiences with Johann Sebastian Bach’s, St. Matthew Passion. They created a powerful and arduous four hour, very human, experience made more so with the subtext of Ukraine and the connections of the Hamburg company to the families and friends of the region. In a moving tribute, the Ukrainian National Anthem became a compelling precursor to the opening chords of the Passion. The consummate John Neumeier’s 40-plus dancers, and the noted James Conlon conducted the full L.A. Opera Orchestra and soloist Grant Gershon leading the chorus which was placed behind a scrim in back of the performers.
Hamburg Ballet – Aleix Martinez, Xue Lin and Ensemble in “St. Matthew Passion” by John Neumeier – Photo by Kiran West, courtesy of L.A. Opera
Conlon’s pre-performance overview is an important herald to the evening’s work. Insightful were his comments, historical perspective and quotes identifying St. Matthew Passion (written in 1727) as one of Bach’s greatest masterpieces out of his 1,000 known works. This is a true legacy of the Baroque Sacred Music period.
Hamburg Ballet – Aleix Martinez, Yaiza Coll in John Neumeier’s “St. Matthew Passion” – Photo by Kiran West, courtesy of L.A. Opera
John Neumeier, the Artistic Director and Chief Choreographer of Hamburg Ballet since 1973 premiered this stellar work in 1980 as a medieval passion play in Hamburg’s St. Michael’s Church, eventually moving it to the Hamburg Opera House. It is clear the focus and spirit of the dancers adds a new power and visual dimension to the allegory exposing the stunning physical reality in the unfolding. The dancers created a miraculous commitment to the journey and were literally bound to the stage and story throughout. The whole cast, so fully faithful to their charge distinguished some stunningly outstanding performances, mostly uncredited, to portray the suffering of Jesus (Marc Jubete), Peter (Edvin Revazov) in his second act soliloquy, Mary’s (Xue Lin) pas de deux with Jesus, and Judas supported by apostles and followers. The corps of dancers alternated characters from the barbarism of the Romans to the angry and eventually supplicant hoards. These elements were shocking by not only the action of the movements but the sounds of suffering. This made the experience visceral and enduring.
Hamburg Ballet – Marc Jubete in John Neumeier’s “St. Matthew Passion” – Photo by Kiran West, courtesy of L.A. Opera
The named vocal soloists, Joshua Blue (Evangelist), Michael Sumuel (Jesus), Tamara Wilson (Soprano), Susan Graham, (Mezzo), Ben Bliss (Tenor), and Kristinn Sigmundsson (Bass), even though nearly unseen from the pit, beautifully articulated Bach’s music and the words from the libretto by Christian Friedrich Henrici with the text of the Gospel of Matthew.
Hamburg Ballet Ensemble in John Neumeier’s “St. Matthew Passion” – Photo by Kiran West, courtesy of L.A. Opera
In the end, this observance was overwhelming in the numbers of moving elements and endurance and yet appropriately eternal and devastating for this period of Good Friday and Easter in our history. A courageous and important experience be a part of for both the initiated and the curious. St. Matthew Passion has three more performances at the L.A. Opera/Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on March 23 (7:30pm), 26 (7:30pm) and 27 (2:00pm). For more information and to purchase tickets, please click HERE.
The choreography, lighting, set, and costumes for St. Matthew Passion were designed by John Neumeier.
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To learn more about the Hamburg Ballet John Neumeier, please visit their website.
To learn more about the L.A. Opera, please visit their website.
To visit the L.A. Opera Orchestra, please click HERE.
To read more about The Music Center, please visit their website.
Written by Joanne DiVito for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Hamburg Ballet Ensemble in John Neumeier’s St. Matthew Passion – Photo by Kiran West, courtesy of L.A. Opera
