Samuel Boden, evangelist
Aarne Pelkonen, Jesus
Sandrine Piau, soprano
NN, alto
Robin Tritschler, tenor
Tomi Punkeri, bass
Arcangelo
Finnish Baroque Orchestra
Topi Lehtipuu, conductor
Johann Sebastian Bach’s (1685–1750) St. John Passion is probably familiar to most people, but this work has rarely (if ever) been performed in Finland with such a spectacular lineup. The highly acclaimed English Archangelo Choir, second in FiBO’s “Top European Choirs” concert series, is part of Arcangelo, one of the world’s leading early music ensembles. The singers are active performers in their own right, many also singing with well-known ensembles such as the Monteverdi Choir. The Arcangelo Choir, FiBO and conductor Topi Lehtipuu, along with a stunning collection of soloists, will present this familiar passion in a new form as a great drama that will leave no one unmoved!
The St. John Passion was Bach’s first large-scale composition. It premiered at St. Nicholas’ Church in Leipzig on Good Friday in 1724. Bach started his work as the Cathedral’s kantor only ten months earlier. With this St. John Passion, Bach began annual performances of his major sacred works, for which he began to prepare as early as the year after his appointment.
The passion has survived in five different versions, all due to modifications made by Bach over the course of approximately 25 years. The reason for the changes was probably the inconsistency of the text. In addition to text from the Bible, Bach also uses text from other sources. The different versions resulted from Bach’s attempts to try different structural solutions to make the work more dramatically cohesive. Because the text is not as polished as the St. Matthew Passion, the St. John Passion is considered by some to be less important. The St. John Passion is shorter and more impulsive than the St. Matthew Passion, but it does not fall short in terms of expression and compositional skill. It recounts the Easter story from the capture of Jesus to his burial through skilful arias, devout chorales and flamboyant choral movements. The work is characterized by its dark intensity, expressive ferocity and wide range of affects. The power of Jesus’ story of suffering is always present.
In FiBO’s “Top European Choirs” series, the orchestra collaborates with world-renowned international choirs from 2022 to 2025. The Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation support the series from 2023 to 2025. The first concert in this series took place in February 2022 with Det Norske Solistkor.
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Suomalainen barokkiorkesteri (FiBO)
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Order refreshmentsThe safety of all our visitors, performers and staff is of the utmost importance to us at Helsinki Music Centre. We have given careful thought to the additional measures we have introduced in response to the coronavirus pandemic, as we want your concert experience to be as safe and memorable as possible.
How about a cup of coffee, a bite to eat or a glass of bubbly during the interval? Order your drinks in advance to beat the queues and make the most of your concert visit.
Our location could not be more central or easier to get to. Almost all forms of Helsinki public transport stop right outside our doors, cycle parking is provided at all our entrances, and Aimo Park Finlandia, our nearest multi-storey car park, offers lift access directly to our main foyer.
Cloakroom
We ask you to leave your coat and any larger items in the cloakroom. The charge is 2 euros. You can pay with a bank or credit card if you don’t have cash with you. You can also pay the cloakroom in advance when buying your ticket.
Latecomers
Latecomers will be asked to wait until a suitable break in the performance or admitted after the interval.
Photography
You are not permitted to record concert performances at Helsinki Music Centre. However, you may take photographs before and after the concert and during applause. Individual concert organisers may have their own, more detail guidance regarding recording and photography.
Dress code
We’re happy to say we have no dress code at Helsinki Music Centre, and we positively encourage you to come as you are. However, we would be grateful if you could avoid wearing strong perfume during your visit so that people with asthma and fragrance sensitivity can enjoy our concerts symptom free.
At Helsinki Music Centre we are proud to be an accessible and welcoming place for everyone. Tactile handrails and signage have been fitted across the building, and there are tactile indicator strips on the floor too to guide partially sighted and blind visitors. Induction loops are always available, and guide or companion dogs are of course permitted within the building.
Concert Hall
The route to your seat is always printed on your ticket. Check the door number to find out which entrance to take. The seating areas are marked with letters. There is level access to all wheelchair seats from the main entrances. Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with our venue – our staff are always on hand to help you find your seat.
Black Box, Camerata and Sonore
Use the row number printed on your ticket to find your seat. Wheelchair seats are situated on the same level as the entrance. Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with our venue – our staff area always on hand to help you find your seat.
Unallocated seating
Please choose your seat on the day.