Jesus Passion

BACHCHOR WIESBADEN BACHORCHESTER WIESBADEN REHM HAUER SONG HILL VOLPERT JUGENDKANTOREI DER EVANGELISCHEN SINGAKAD

This intriguing release presents a fascinating program. Oskar Gottlieb Blarr’s Jesus Passion is the highlight of the album, but one also hears an interesting conversation with Blarr as well as with Odilo Klasen, a Blarr specialist. The secret to the success of the Jesus Passion, according to Klasen, lies in one of the peculiarities of Blarr’s style: the fact that it is immediately comprehensible, “even for those who know nothing at all of the complex processes involved.” To this end, the enthusiastic response from audiences and critics alike to the 26 performances of the oratorio between the premiere in 1985 and 2018 speaks for itself. Beginning with stories about his childhood in Eastern Prussia, the escape in 1945 and the subsequent stages of his life until 1961, when he settled in Dusseldorf, where he lives to this day, one can follow intently as the seeds of many far-reaching impressions from early in the life of OG Blarr develop and unfold, leaving indelible marks on him. In his Jesus Passion, Blarr aims to tell a story without anti-Semitism. Especially in our era of general xenophobia reaching new and frightening proportions, this essential aspect sets the tone.

Price: $42.98