Saturday, May 18, 2013, 8:00 pm
Church of St. Luke in the Fields, 487 Hudson Street, New York City
Monday, May 20, 2013, 8:00 pm
Park Avenue Christian Church, 1010 Park Avenue, New York City
Cantori continues intrepidly to break new ground, presenting the new hour-long A Gnostic Passion by Doug and Brad Balliett, for chorus, soprano, and instrumental ensemble. The Balliott brothers fashioned their startling libretto from the gnostic source The Acts of John in consultation with award-winning scholar and MacArthur Fellow Elaine Pagels, integrating into their text eccentric, wildly divergent accounts of the passion story which had been suppressed for centuries by early church authorities. A Gnostic Passion draws formal inspiration from the Bach family, and sonic inspiration equally from the worlds of contemporary classical and popular musics. The Balliett brothers will participate in the performance with guest artist soprano Charlotte Mundy.
