Cody Quattlebaum to premiere new edition of Handel's Brockes Passion

Cody Quattlebaum

Bass-barihunk Cody Quattlebaum will perform the role of Christus with The Academy of Ancient Music in a performance recording of Handel’s Brockes Passion. The project is the culmination of several years of scholarly research, setting Handel’s Passion as the composer intended, featuring previously unheard music and instrumentation. 

The restored version reinstates the first 63 ‘missing’ bars, brings in additional instruments, and showcases choruses and other numbers omitted from some editions.

Led by Richard Egarr, The Academy of Ancient Music will premiere the new edition at the Barbican Centre in London on Good Friday, April 19th, which is the 300th anniversary of the work’s premiere. The rest of the cast includes Robert Murray as the Evangelist), Elizabeth Watts as the Daughter of Zion, Ruby Hughes as the Believing Soul, Tim Mead as Judas and Gwilym Bowen as Peter.

Cody Quattlebaum sings "Deh vieni alla finestra":

The text of Brockes Passion is based on text by the German poet Barthold Heinrich Brockes, which has been set to music by numerous composers, including Georg Philipp Telemann. It is not known exactly why or when Handel set the text of the Brockes Passion, but the work was performed in Hamburg in 1719.

The performance will be recorded for release on AAM Records later in the year.

This season at the Dutch National Opera, Quattlebaum will perform Bruno Zirato in Hamel's Caruso a Cuba and Zuniga in Bizet's Carmen.

Cody Quattlebaum to make U.K. debut in St John Passion

Cody Quattlebaum and his mane of Biblical proportions

After competing in the Glyndebourne Cup this month, Cody Quattlebaum will make his official U.K. debut with the Academy of Ancient Music as Christus and the Bass Soloist in Bach's Johannespassion (St John Passsion) at the Barbican Centre on March 30th.

Quattlebaum is one of seven of the 24 singers selected for the inaugural Glyndebourne Opera Cup on March 22. The field will be narrowed to 10 finalist for the March 24th competition, which will be broadcast on Sky Arts.

The St John Passsion will also feature James Gilchrist as the Evangelist, countertenor Iestyn Davies, soprano Lydia Teuscher and the rising tenor sensation Ilker Arcayurek, all under the baton of  Riccardo Minasi. Tickets are available online. 

The St John Passion was written during Bach's first year as director of church music in Leipzig and was first performed on April 7, 1724 at Good Friday Vespers. The anonymous libretto draws on existing works and is compiled from recitatives and choruses narrating the Passion of Christ as told in the Gospel of John, ariosos and arias reflecting on the action, and chorales using hymn tunes and texts familiar to a congregation of Bach's contemporaries.

Quattlebaum, who has already gained a following in the U.S., will also be making his German debut this year.