Sunday, November 2, 2003 21:00
Ruins of St. Paul's
Free admission
Conductor: Tan Dun
The Korea National Chorus
Assistant Conductor/ Stage Manager: Erik Ochsner
Elisabeth Keusch, soprano
Stephen Bryant, bass-baritone
Chen Yuanlin, electronic sampler
Colin Jacobsen, violin
Wendy Sutter, cello
David Cossin, Dominic & Tom Kolor, percussion
Lighting Designer: Christian Methot
Sound Designer: David Sheppard
Chinese renowned composer and conductor Tan Dun has made one of his favourite elemental themes, water, into a major feature of his latest daunting epic work for soprano and bass soloists, mixed chorus, six instrumentalists and electronic processing. "Water Passion After St. Matthew" is staged around a cross formed by 17 transparent water bowls, lit with magical effect from below. A percussionist stands at each of the three points of this cross with conductor !V Tan himself !V at the base... This work is one of four 21st century Passions commissioned on the 250th anniversary of Johann S. Bach!|s death by the Internationale Bachakademie and will certainly close the festival with a golden key!
Sung in English, with surtitles in English, Chinese and Portuguese
Duration: approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes, including one interval