Barthold Heinrich Brockes was an influential German poet who added reflective and descriptive poetry into the texture of his Passion. Among several musical settings, the most famous is the one by Handel. This acclaimed staged version transports Handel’s Brockes Passion into the opera house, widening the work’s historical narrative to embrace the creation of the world, bringing a message of human greed and destruction into direct contact with the present day. The Händelfestspielorchester Halle, on period instruments, is conducted by Michael Hofstetter.

This release follows on from our audiovisual recording of Walter Sutcliffe’s acclaimed stage production of this work (2110755/NBD0167) released in November 2024. As an oratorio this is a work that is typically at home in the concert hall, but this version has the added excitement of live performance, and of having been turned into a form of character-driven stage opera.

This production was much admired in the critical press:

‘Musically, the performance is carried out by an excellent Handel Festival Orchestra, playing precisely and with a wide range of timbres, partly on historical instruments under Michael Hofstetter’ – Die Deutsche Bühne

‘Great cheers from the audience after three hours of exciting musical theatre and not a single boo despite an ambitious production in both the religious and political areas. This hasn’t happened at the Halle Opera for a long time… Highly recommended not only for early music lovers!’ – Klassik Begeistert

Cast:
- Evangelist, tenor solo: Robert Sellier (tenor)
- Daughter of Zion, soprano solo, Maidservant: Vanessa Waldhart (soprano)
- Believing Soul: Yulia Sokolik (mezzo-soprano)
- Believing Soul, Maria: Romelia Lichtenstein (soprano)
- Jesus: Michael Zehe (bass)
- St Peter: Jorge Navarro Colorado (tenor)
- St John: Franziska Faust (contralto)
- St James: Christina Mataj (contralto)
- Judas, Mercenary: Leandro Marziotte (countertenor)
- Caiaphas, Pilate, Captain, Believing Soul: Ki-Hyun Park (bass)