Bach: Matthäuspassion

300 years ago, on Good Friday 1727, Bach's Matthäuspassion was premiered at the Leipziger Thomaskirche. Bach had taken up his position as Thomaskantor four years earlier and would hold it until his death in 1750. He could hardly have imagined that this Passion would still belong to the core works of the repertoire today. It is so much so, that ensembles have been formed specifically for it: Václav Luks certainly dreamed of an ensemble for a Bach Passion when he founded Collegium 1704 in 2005, which plays on historical instruments, and Collegium Vocale 1704. These ensembles, now based in Prague and Dresden, have not only made a name for themselves with works by Bach but also internationally.