An afternoon symposium, preceding a preconcert talk by Markus Rathey and Yale Schola Cantorum’s 8 pm performance of J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion.
Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. John Passion is a magnificent setting of the suffering and death of Christ according to the gospel of John, interspersed with meditations on the meaning and significance of this death. Preceding a performance of the Passion on the evening of the same day the Institute of Sacred Music is hosting a symposium with the title Bach’s S. John Passion in Context.
In four lectures scholars from different disciplines will place Bach’s masterwork in its wider cultural and religious context. The talks, which are geared towards a general audience, will explore different reactions to the death of Christ, ranging from Byzantine antiquity to the middle ages and contemporary literature.
Schedule
| 12:45 PM | Check-in and Refreshments |
| 1:00 PM | Welcome & Introduction by Martin Jean, Markus Rathey |
| 1:15 PM | Christoph Wolff, Harvard University, The Gospel of St. John and Bach’s Setting of Its Passion Story |
| 2:00 PM | Michelle Karnes, Stanford University, Passion Medieval Passion Meditations |
| 2:45 PM | Coffee Break |
| 3:15 PM | Vasileios Marinis, Yale University, The Passion of Christ in Byzantine Art and Poetry |
| 4:00 PM |
Peter Hawkins, Yale University, He Who Hesitates is Human: Literary Portrayals of Gethsemane |
| 4:45 PM | General Discussion |
| 5:00 PM | Symposium Ends |