Bohuslav Martinu (1890-1959)
La Passion grecque, H 372 (The Greek Passion), opéra en 4 actes

Gabor Bretz, basse (Prêtre Grigoris)
Sebastian Kohlhepp, ténor (Manolios)
Sara Jakubiak, soprano (Katerina)
Charles Workman, ténor (Yannakos)
Christina Gansch, soprano (Lenio)
Matteo Ivan Rasic, ténor (Andonis)
Matthäus Schmidlechner, ténor (Michelis)
Alejandro Balinas Vieites, basse (Kostandis)
Julian Hubbard, ténor (Panait)
Aljoscha Lennert, ténor (Nikolio)
Helena Rasker, contralto (Une vieille femme)
Luke Stoker, basse (Le Patriarche)
Robert Dölle, rôle muet (Ladas)
Lukasz Golinski, baryton-basse (Prêtre Fotis)
Scott Wilde, basse (Un vieil homme)
Teona Todua, soprano (Despinio)
Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor
Wiener Philharmoniker
Maxime Pascal, direction
Simon Stone, mise en scène

Bohuslav Martinu’s opera The Greek Passion, here in the 1961 version, is based on the novel The re-crucified Christ by Nikos Kazantzakis. The opera develops the Christian doctrine of “love thy neighbour” ad absurdum, as a group of refugees are driven out of a little Greek village just as the village is putting on a Passion play for Holy Week. The opera is a pessimistic plea for humanity, made in the awareness that humanity must always wrestle anew with its own egoism. Director Simon Stone “creates a modern parable, somehow both contemporary and timeless.” (The Times) For the last of his 16 operas, Martinu developed a tonal language which combined his early musical experiences with elements of Greek folklore, Greek Orthodox liturgy and dance music. Maxime Pascal, the 2014 winner of the Salzburg Festival’s annual Young Conductors Award and at the podium of the Wiener Philharmoniker for the first time, “unfolds a musical and dramatic intensity that makes your hair stand on end, both in the tender outbursts and the violent ones. A maestro of his time.” (Le Figaro)