With Passio, Estonian composer Arvo Pärt delivers one of the most radical and moving works of contemporary sacred music. This unique collaboration brings together Ensemble la Sportelle and The Gesualdo Six, under the direction of Owain Park.

After returning to the Orthodox faith and several years of creative silence, Pärt invented his “tintinnabuli” language, based on the resonance of the triad and the rigor of modal counterpoint. Passio Domini nostri Jesu Christi secundum Joannem, composed in 1982 and revised in 1988, is its most austere and spiritual incarnation. Inspired by Bach’s great Passions, it distinguishes itself through radical simplicity and extreme restraint, as a path toward transcendence.

The work faithfully sets the Latin text of the Gospel according to Saint John, with a baritone as Jesus, a tenor as Pilate, a vocal quartet (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) as the Evangelists, and a mixed choir. The minimalist instrumental accompaniment consists of an oboe, violin, cello, bassoon, and organ.

This program brings together the passion of Ensemble la Sportelle and the precision of The Gesualdo Six, under the direction of Owain Park. Together, they make Passio a return to the very source of the sacred.

In co-production with The Gesualdo Six.

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