Bohuslav Martinů

Salzburg Festival: The Greek Passion

Зальцбург: Греческие пассионы

The last opera by the Czech classic of the 20th century Bohuslav Martinů «Greek Passions» is an occasional guest on modern musical scenes. Based on the novel of the Greek writer Nikos Kazantzakis, the opera follows an uncomplicated but eternally relevant conflict between human vices and higher humanism. The famous Australian director Simon Stone focuses on the more modern theme of the emigrant crisis, while not losing the Christian message of the music and libretto.

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Actors

Priest Grigoris

Gábor Bretz

Manolios

Sebastian Kohlhepp

Katerina

Sara Jakubiak

Yannakos

Charles Workman

Panais

Julian Hubbard

Crew

Director

Simon Stone

Conductor

Maxime Pascal

Set design

Lizzie Clachan

Costume designer

Mel Page

Lighting designer

Nick Schlieper

About

Bohuslav Martinů’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, Martinů developed a tonal language which combined his early musical experiences with elements of Greek folklore, Greek Orthodox liturgy and dance music. Maxime Pascal 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). “A highlight of this year’s Salzburg Festival” The Times