Passion in Sanders

In an unprecedented choral effort on this campus, the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum will perform the St. Matthew's Passion by J. S. Bach this evening in Sanders Theater.

St. Matthew's Passion

By J. S. Bach

Performed by the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum

At Sanders Theater

Tonight at 7:30

The piece, which Bach composed in 1732, is generally acknowledged as the most powerful and unique oratorio setting of the Passion and Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In this monumental work in which two choruses, two orchestras and eight soloists perform for over three hours, Bach alternates between recitative narration by the Evangelist, who represents St. Matthew, turbulent crowd choruses, various commentary in the solo arias and reflective, moving chorales.

According to Jameson Marvin, Director of Collegium Musicum and of Choral Activities at Harvard University, St. Matthew's Passion represents the height of Baroque music and masterpieces. Marvin says that Bach makes use of all contemporary music forms, including the aria, ariosa, recitative and the accompanied and a cappeila choruses that were popular at the time.

"The St. Matthew's Passion is monumental and unique in the history of Western music," Marvin says. "Not only does Bach elaborate on the chorales, which are the center of the work, but the whole performance is a huge undertaking. That's one reason it's rare that undergraduates perform the piece. We've had to raise a great deal of money to arrange for the soloists and the orchestra, not to mention the amount of time and practice that has gone into perfecting it."

Marvin says that the 65-member group, which performs a cappella pieces as well as choral/orchestral works, has been working on the St. Matthew's Passion since November. The Passion requires eight choral parts as well as eight solo parts. Tonight's performance will feature seven solo performances: Nancy Armstrong will sing soprano; Gloria Raymond will sing mezzosoprano; Jon Humphrey and Frank Kelley will sing tenor; Sanford Sylvan and Thomas Jones will sing baritone, and David Ripley will sing the bass part.

Twenty sopranos from the Radcliffe Choral Society (RCS) will accompany the Collegium in two sections of the Passion orginally written for boy's choruses. This additional soprano section will stand above the Collegium performers in the stage balcony at Sanders Theater, allowing the higher melodies to float above those of the main body of the chorus.

Tonght will mark the first time Collegium has performed the entire Bach masterpiece, although in recent years the group has performed the Bach Mass in B-minor. Several years ago, according to Marvin, the combined choruses of the Harvard Glee Club, the Radcliffe Choral Society and Collegium performed selections from the work.

This evening's show will be a concert performance; although the St. Matthew's Passion has several parts and characters, Marvin said the piece is generally not staged.

Tickets for St. Matthew's Passion are $14, $12 and $10, although advance tickets are already sold out. A limited number of tickets may be available at the door immediately before the show, which begins at 7:30 sharp.