A French Oratorio based on the Passion of St. John, for large orchestra, choir and five soloists.
Cristina Obregon (soprano) / Gaelle Malada (mezzo-soprano) / Clara Pertuy (contralto) / Alessandro Rinella (tenor) / Bernard Causse (baritone) / Chamber Choir of Europe

One would fear that in this day and age of expendable values, short attention spans, and instant gratification that no one would dare or even consider the creation of a work based on such an imposing subject of Biblical (pun intended) proportions as is the Passion of Christ, but yet there it is. And surprisingly it's a totally captivating and convincing modern-day account of this ancient yet far-reaching event, composed in a style more in tune with the great mid-20th century dramatists like Leighton, Britten, Poulenc, Howells, etc ... than the pastel-colored trifles of today.

Organist and composer Frédéric Ledroit (b. 1968), up until now better known for his recordings of organ music by Bonnet, Langlais and Widor, is now also generating interest as a composer since the creation of his Requiem in 2012. If you've had a chance to listen to one of his most recent organ works posted on YouTube, the op. 58 "Cosmos", it's obvious that Ledroit's impelling incitement to compose is more philosophical and metaphysical than technical, and I admire the way he builds and forges great structures out of simple and yet compelling motifs. That same technique is applied within the orchestral palette of this work which reinforces the drama inherent to the text and proves to be very effective in segments like Il en jaillit du sang et de l'eau or the purely orchestral segment Ténèbres. One of the many symbolic aspects of this work that the composer himself points out in the booklet notes is that the role of St. John moves from contralto, to mezzo-soprano and finally soprano, his voice rising as the Passion moves forward.

The conductor and performers involved in this production all seem to relate and connect with the earnestness and gravitas of this work and well capture and project its significance and clout. If you yearn for the days when composers dug deep within themselves to flesh out and expose an idea and really get inside the crux of a matter, give the music of Frédéric Ledroit a listen. It may very well resonate with you.