'Haydn's Seven Last Words of Christ'

The Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross Op. 51 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Jacob Klock and Elisa Wicks, violins; Ingrid Rodgers, viola; Pam Chaddon, cello

In the hands of four string players, with only one instrument on a part, the music has a heightened intimacy. To hear it interspersed with the spoken word, it takes on a spiritual dimension rarely found in even the most profound compositions.  This is music which cuts across religious and social lines and speaks to all humanity.

Franz Joseph Haydn’s Seven Last Words of Christ was originally commissioned for orchestra in 1785 by the Archbishop of Cadiz and first performed on Good Friday, 1787. Haydn then subsequently arranged it for string quartet; for the simplest of all things may indeed be the most affecting.

This profound work will be performed at Benet Hill Monastery on the Chamber Concert Series during Lent on March 4, 2018, at 2:30 with poetry readings.