Mass

Leonard Bernstein’s “Mass” was premiered in 1971 in New York for the opening of the Kennedy Center, at a time of social upheaval and protests against war and political hypocrisy. The monumental work combines choral and mass elements with classical symphonic music, vocals and jazz, rock and blues sounds to create a multi-layered reflection on faith and doubt and is considered visionary today. Bernstein combines the Latin liturgy of the mass with often rebellious texts that express the inner conflict between spiritual longing and institutional mistrust. At the centre of the action is the celebrant, a priest experiencing a crisis of faith. “Mass” will be the festival’s fifth major music theatre production in the Johannes church, featuring three choirs, soloists, an orchestra and a rock band. The directing duo Hanna Werth and Philipp Heitmann promise “a moving spectacle with over 100 participants”.