Description
The Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross, Joseph Haydn
Two performances: Thursday 4 and Friday 5 February at 8.30 pm
Did you know? The Ensemble Matheus, well known to audiences in Fouesnant, first came into being as a quartet of the same name.
In a return to its roots, conductor Jean-Christophe Spinosi has brought together a string quartet to perform the most intense version of Joseph Haydn’s The Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross.
Composed in 1786 for Good Friday, this work was commissioned for a liturgical occasion: each of Christ’s seven words is first proclaimed, then followed by a musical meditation. Haydn adds an introduction and a final movement evoking the earthquake that accompanied Christ’s death, lending the whole work a strong sense of spiritual and dramatic unity.
In its version for string quartet, the more concise writing lays bare the intensity of the score. The music is all the more expressive for it, oscillating between contemplation, doubt and light. True to its identity, the Ensemble Matheus offers a lively, intimate and embodied interpretation.
