Good Friday in Speyer: unforgettable concert inspires visitors

Good Friday in Speyer: unforgettable concert inspires visitors

The Cathedral of Speyer experienced a special evening during the Passion concert on April 18, 2025. The atmosphere was characterized by the impressive performance under the title "Schlag on Schlag", which took place in Holy Week. The event that attracted many visitors was a highlight in the cultural calendar of the region.

main actors of the evening were Christoph Maria Kohl and Leonie Klein. Kohl presented the reading of the Matthew Passion, while Klein set another emotional accent with musical reflections on the percussion. The combination of spoken and musical expression gave the concert a special depth that impressed the audience sustainably.

special features of the Passion concert

The concert was not only shaped by the outstanding achievements of the artists, but also by the choice of time. Cor week is a time of reflection and commemoration, which gave the concert an additional emotional dimension. In the fully occupied cathedral, the mysticism of this time was clearly noticeable.

The program of the evening offered a successful connection between word and music. Another important concert in the cathedral took place in spring, on April 1, 2023. That evening, the Speyer Domchor presented works by Bach and Haydn.

past and music tradition

The first performance from this year included Bach's motet "The just comes around" and Haydn's "Stabat Mater". Haydn's work, which emerged in 1767 and is considered his first church plant after taking up service at Fürst Esterházy, was particularly noticed. It describes the mourning of Mary under the cross and has significantly shaped Haydn's reputation as a vocal composer.

The performance, which was also accompanied by the baroque orchestra L'Arpa, the focus was on four vocal soloists: Annemarie Pfahler (soprano), Ulrike Malotta (Alt), Fabian Kelly (tenor) and Magnus Piontek (bass). The performances took place both in the Cathedral of Speyer and in the St. Josef church in Ludwigshafen-Friesenheim, where the second performance took place on Palm Sunday, April 2, 2023.

tickets for these special concerts were available via the online portal of Reservix and at ticket agencies, also in the cathedral information. The great response and positive feedback from visitors underline the importance of such musical events in the region.