Damijan Mocnik
composed his
Johannespassion
("
St. John Passion
") in 2011 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, for large orchestra, soloists, and chorus. This 2022 version is a bit pared down, featuring woodwind, percussion, and strings along with the chorus. The effect of this is to highlight the percussion, and indeed, this work is a percussionist's dream, right from the big timpani strokes that mark the beginning of the narrative. To offer a
St. John's Passion
in the face of the examples by
Bach
and
Schuetz
takes nerve, but
Mocnik
's work can stand on its own. He combines a melodic idiom rooted in the medieval era, especially in Gregorian chant, with an operatic dynamic. The setting is stark and monumental, even in the reduced setting.
deploys six soloists, including a female Historicus (or narrator); soprano
Siobhan Stagg
has a heavy load and sustains dramatic interest. Jesus is a ponderous bass-baritone. There is a large cast of nine solo parts, with two soloists taking two parts each. Conductor
Ivan Repusic
, leading the
Munich Radio Orchestra
Slovenian Philharmonic Choir
, is equal to the music's ambitions and to the challenge of holding multiple large ensembles together.
is a composer who once conducted a choir of 1,700 singers, and this is music for those who value grand gestures. They will find this
Passion
setting convincing and fresh. ~ James Manheim