Matthäus-Passion

While many ballets are written to existing pieces of music, Johann Sebastian Bach's long, contemplative Passion According to St. Matthew seems a curious choice, and—judging from this performance recorded at the 2005 Baden-Baden Festival—not a particularly wise one for John Neumeier, artistic director of the Hamburg Ballet. The troupe, dancing to a rather lugubrious 1980 recording of Bach's score, certainly exhibits stamina and skill. Neumeier, then in his mid-60s, takes the role of Jesus in what amounts to an interpretative Passion Play surrounded by the company's intricately choreographed responses to a succession of ruminative arias and traditional chorales. While there are impressive moments, as a whole the ballet is an oddity: much of the movement consists of groups dressed in simple tunics walking about the stage in regimented units, or individuals stepping out to shake, twitch, or keel over in contortions—in short, very little traditional dance is on display here, and the solos lack distinction. Still, some viewers might find this combination of Bach's majestic score and Neumeier's obviously heartfelt response to it deeply moving. Others, however, will remain unconvinced that the Passion According to St. Matthew benefits at all from the addition of dance. This release includes two complete versions of the performance: the final version, edited to include close-ups and various perspectives, and one from a single-camera view of the entire stage. Presented in PCM stereo, this is a strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)