B. Martinů: The Greek Passion

Bohuslav Martinů: The Greek Passion
opera in 4 acts
libreto by composer based on novel Christ recrucified by N. Kazantzakis
1st version, restored by A. Březina
20.7. 1999 Bregenz festspielhaus
Ulf Schirmer (cond.), David Pountney (dir.), Stephan Lazaridis (scen.), Nina Stemme (Katerina), Christopher Ventris (Manolios), Adrian Clarke (Kostandis), Egils Silins (Fotis), Esa Ruuttunen (Grigoris)
Wiener Symphoniker, Moscow Chamber Choir, Bregenz Musikhauptschule Children's Choir

[@crazyorganist1609]

Magnificent and beautiful music. Absolute genius

[@uraniastern5755]

Much underrated - modern Parsifal!

[@jean-claudecalise7470]

Love the music, totally expressive. (La Stemme chante "grosse gueule": impressionnant !). Danke.

[@BritinIsrael]

Wonderful!!!

[@remigiomenegoz6674]

It is impossible to appreciate this masterwork without subtitles! Please Help!!

[@dad9447]

Este tipo de obras me ayuda a reflexionar mucho sobre el lenguaje y la estética musicales, además de aquella lírica.

[@yohangouraantoni3903]

Escucha La Fanciulla del West de Puccini es pura vanguardia

[@meisterwue]

Real excellent oera....underrated

[@angusmcrandy]

Nina Stemme, soprano (Katerina)
Christopher Ventris, tenor (Manolios),
Adrian Clarke, baritone (Kostandis),
Egils Silins, bass-baritone (Fotis),
Esa Ruuttunen, bass-baritone (Grigoris)
John Daszak, tenor (Yannakos)
Douglas Nasrawi, tenor (Panait)
Jonas Kaufmann, tenor (Nikolio)
Anat Efraty, soprano (Lenio)
The setting is Lykovrissi, a Greek village, where a performance of the Passion Play is scheduled to occur at Easter. As the story proceeds, the villagers cast in the play take on the personalities of their religious characters.
Act 1
The priest Grigoris distributes the roles for the following year's performance of the Passion Play. Café owner Kostandis is allotted James, the pedlar Yannakos Peter, Michelis is given John, shepherd Manolios is selected as Christ; and Katerina, a widow, is chosen to play Mary Magdalene. Panait, her lover, is given the role of Judas much against his wish. The actors are blessed and exhorted to live the life of their roles in the coming year. Manolios is engaged to Lenio who asks him when they are to be married, but he cannot think about marriage any longer. The villagers think of their respective roles and about how they correspond to their lives. At dawn, singing is heard and a group of Greek refugees arrives in Lykovrissi from a village destroyed by the Turks, led by their priest, Fotis. Father Grigoris is concerned about the welfare and safety of his fellow villagers and of possible conflicts. One female refugee dies from hunger, but Father Grigoris blames the death on cholera and uses this to expel the refugees from the village. Only Katerina offers them practical assistance, but Manolios, Yannakos, Kostandis and Michelis take her lead, find food, and show them the nearby Sarakina mountain where the refugees may rest.
Act 2
The moral strength of the 'apostles' is tested. Katerina has fallen in love with Manolios and reveals this to Yannakos. The elder Ladas talks to the simple Yannakos about profiting from the refugees. The latter falls for the dream of wealth rushes off to the refugee camp of wants to relieve the refugees of their possessions. Meeting Manolios he warns him about Katerina who then meets Manolios at a well where they reveal their mutual attraction, but Manolios rejects her and she is desolate. Yannakos views the ceremony of the laying of the foundation stone of a new village on the mountainside, where an old man asks to be buried along with the bones of his ancestors. Yannakos, shamed by the poverty and welcome of the refugees, confesses to Fotis that he has come to cheat the refugees, but now gives all his money to help them.
Act 3
Manolios has been dreaming: of Lenio's reproaches, of Grigoris' exhortations to be worthy of his role, and of Katerina as the Holy Virgin. Lenio enters as he wakens to ask for one last time about their wedding, only for Manolios to reply ambiguously. When Manolios has left, Lenio is lured back by the piping of the shepherd Nikolios. Manolios convinces Katerina that their love must be only spiritual, in the same manner as Jesus and Mary Magdalene. She decides to sell her goats to help the refugees. Manolios appeals to the villagers to help the refugees, and is well received. However the village elders see a threat to their authority. Manolios is gaining a greater spiritual hold over the villagers, and the elders devise a plan to drive Manolios out of the village.
Act 4
During Lenio and Nikolios's wedding feast Father Grigoris warns them about the preaching of Manolios and excommunicates him. Michelis, Yannakos and Kostandis stay loyal to Manolios. Manolios appears and proclaims that the world's suffering will bring bloodshed. The refugees come down from the mountain in a state of misery. While Manolios preaches charity towards the refugees, Grigoris incites the villagers and Panait kills Manolios on the church steps as refugees enter. The villagers and the refugees mourn Manolios. Fotis leads the refugees away, in search of a new home.

[@alexanderbrunet6551]

Last opera martinu died 1959 swiss