Máté Bella – András Almási-Tóth

Passion

contemporary OperaOratorio 12
, –
Hungarian State Opera
Running time including interval
  • Scene I: Death of Jesus:
  • Scene II: Crucifixion:
  • Scene III: Via Crucis:
  • Scene IV: Jesus before Pilate:
  • Scene V: Jesus before Caiaphas:
  • Interval:
  • Scene VI: Gethsemane:
  • Scene VII: Last supper:

Language Hungarian

Surtitle Hungarian, English

Following his one-act opera Spring Awakening, in collaboration with the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, and the orchestration of L’incoronazione di Poppea premiered at the Eiffel Art Studios, the Hungarian State Opera now presents a work by composer Máté Bella at the Opera House for the first time. The Erkel Ferenc Prize and Béla Bartók – Ditta Pásztory Prize recipient composer has already left his mark in a wide range of musical styles, from chamber music and orchestral works to incidental music and pop music; now, turning once again toward the classical music stage, he has created an operaoratorio that explores the Passion story of Christ. One of the work’s most distinctive dramaturgical features of the composition, written for the scholarship competition of the Hungarian Academy of Arts, is its reverse narrative structure: the story unfolds backward, from the death of Jesus to the Last Supper. This treatment of time opens up a new perspective and places the dramatic climax not in the crucifixion itself, but in the moment when Jesus chooses to set out on his path on Maundy Thursday. The world premiere of the work is staged by András Almási-Tóth, the OPERA’s artistic director and the librettist of the piece. The libretto shifts the focus away from the physical brutality of the Passion narrative and explores the human and spiritual process instead through which Jesus consciously accepts and fulfils his destiny. The aim of the authors is to reinterpret the opera-oratorio genre and bring it closer to today’s Y and Z generations, without sacrificing musical or conceptual depth. This work is not merely a performance, but a dialogue about faith, choice, and responsibility, and about what this two-thousand-year-old story might mean for a contemporary European audience today.

Opera guide

The composer’s thoughts

Passio is an unconventional, nearly two-hour contemporary opera-oratorio based on the four Gospels, approaching the story of Jesus from a radically new perspective. The libretto, written by András Almási-Tóth, shifts the focus away from the physical brutality of the Passion narrative and instead explores the human and spiritual process through which Jesus consciously accepts and fulfils his destiny. One of the work’s most distinctive dramaturgical features is its reverse narrative structure: the story unfolds backward, from the death of Jesus to the Last Supper. This treatment of time opens up a new perspective and places the dramatic climax not in the crucifixion itself, but in the moment when Jesus chooses to set out on his path. The structure comprising seven scenes, three intermezzi, and baroque-inspired ritornellos reflects both on tradition and deliberately dismantles its conventions.

The chorus plays a central role throughout the piece, constantly shifting its function: at times it represents the voice of the people, at others an angelic choir, and at moments the inner psyche of Jesus himself. This multi-layered use of the chorus creates a powerful sense of theatrical and musical tension. In its musical language, Passio employs post-minimalist and neo-baroque techniques, consciously drawing on the traditions of baroque opera and oratorio while embracing the melodic thinking and timbral sensibilities of 21st-century vocal music. Through the interweaving of modernity and classical musical heritage, the work functions as a genuine bridge between past and present, early music and contemporary composition. The instrumentation is deliberately restrained: solo violin and cello, string orchestra, harp, and piano form the ensemble. This not only enhances performability but also fosters intimacy and a transparent sound world, which is particularly effective.

Passio can also be understood as the artistic synthesis of Bella Máté’s research conducted between 2020 and 2023 into baroque and contemporary opera-oratorio forms. The aim of the composition is clear: to reinterpret the opera-oratorio genre and bring it closer to today’s Y and Z generations, without sacrificing musical or conceptual depth. This work is not merely a performance, but a dialogue about faith, choice, and responsibility, and about what a two-thousand-year-old story can mean for a contemporary European audience today.

Máté Bella