Peter Schreier conducts Bach’s St John Passion at St Thomas’s Church, Leipzig: a musical ray of light in the dark days of Passiontide Famous for his performances of the Evangelist in Bach’s oratorios and passions, the highly regarded Bach-expert Peter Schreier has also garnered international acclaim as a conductor. For the present project, he has taken to the podium once more. The disc’s live recording from St Thomas’s Church, Leipzig, captures a remarkable performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s St John Passion (BWV 245). Under the direction of Peter Schreier, the Sächsischer Kammerchor and the Mitteldeutsche Virtuosen present a truly gripping, profound rendition of Bach’s masterpiece. The Sächsischer Kammerchor and the Mitteldeutsche Virtuosen, performing on modern instruments, give eloquent testimony to their exceptional musical skills. Bach’s chorales, which are so essential to the St John Passion, radiate with poignant intimacy and expressive power. The ensemble of soloists, too, has been selected wisely. Martin Petzold offers a superb performance as the Evangelist. Staying close to the text, Petzold skilfully leads his audience through the Passion narrative. A further highlight: the young tenor Patrick Grahl. His impressive vocal presence allows him to master the challenging arias with great aplomb.