Passion Music at the Turn of the XX and XXI Centuries, Part I: Sofia Gubaidulina and Wolfgang Rihm
Passion Music at the Turn of the XX and XXI Centuries, Part I: Sofia Gubaidulina and Wolfgang Rihm

Summary/Abstract: The great conductor and scholar of the works of Bach, Helmuth Rilling, commissioned his colleague composers from different countries to write works on the Passion of Christ inspired by the four Gospels. This project known as Passion 2000 was realized on the 250th anniversary of Bach’s death. As part of this valuable initiative and tribute to the Bach, the Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina, the German composer Wolfgang Rihm, the Chinese composer Tan Dun, and the Argentinian composer Osvaldo Goliovo created four considerable works that completely differ stylistically and provide new perspectives on Passion settings. This article presents the following two European Passions from a historical perspective: the St. John Passion by Sofia Gubaidulina and the Deus Passus by Wolfgang Rihm. These composers’ perspectives of the Passion genre expand the traditional framework of this genre as they present the events of the Passion within contemporary contexts and combine musical styles from different historical periods.

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