Richard and Eric discuss a recent article from The Spectator by Andrew Mahon, who was critical of Peter Sellars's staging of the St. John Passion of J.S. Bach. The article forms a jumping-off point to examine the role context plays in performance, performance practice, and artistic interpretation. There are a number of relevant issues surrounding the notion of context that play out in the work of the choral musician, with some that are worthy of deep consideration.
Mahon, A. (Apr., 2019). Why Peter Sellars's staging of the St. John Passion - which I sang in - was deeply flawed. The Spectator.