🌅— Betrayal and Arrest

• The work opens with a double choir surrounding the listener, almost like the world witnessing a cosmic event.

• The story begins with Jesus and his disciples at the Last Supper. Jesus predicts betrayal, and Judas slips away into the night.

• In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prays in anguish. The music trembles as he asks if the “cup” of suffering may pass from him.

• Soldiers arrive. Judas kisses Jesus to betray him. The choir cries out in shock: “Is it I, Lord? Am I the one who will betray you?”

⸻

⚖️ Act II — Trial and Denial

• Jesus is dragged before the high priests, then Pontius Pilate.

• Voices argue back and forth — the choir becomes the angry mob, shouting “Crucify him!”.

• Peter, meanwhile, denies knowing Jesus three times. When the cock crows, the music freezes in grief.

⸻

🩸 Act III — Suffering and Crucifixion

• Jesus is beaten, mocked, and led to Golgotha.

• The choir sings haunting chorales — simple, hymn-like, as if the whole congregation joins in, reflecting on the meaning of the suffering.

• The crucifixion is described with aching restraint — the soloists plead, the choir mourns, the orchestra sighs.

⸻

🌌 Finale — Death and Burial

• As Jesus dies, the music grows unbearably still.

• A hush falls over the voices — the choir sings a final lullaby: “Rest well, holy body.”

• The piece closes not with triumph, but with a profound stillness that leaves the listener in awe.