Zapp Mattheus (8+)

Zapp Mattheus was written by Simon van der Geest, two-time winner of a Gouden Griffel (golden pen; an important award given to authors of children’s literature in the Netherlands). He created this family concert especially for the Amsterdams Bach Consort: a compact St Matthew Passion of about one hour. Concise, but with the utmost respect for Bach’s masterpiece and for the Biblical story of the crucifixion, to give children the opportunity to discover this beautiful music.

In Zapp Mattheus, two boys tell the story of Jesus’ crucifixion, using soccer as a metaphor. Jesus is the coach, the twelve disciples form the team (with one player as the reserve), and the Last Supper is the final. It makes sense that Jesus’ dying is synonymous with scoring: it makes him immortal. Blasphemy? No. Writer Simon van der Geest approaches the subject extremely seriously and with great precision. Newspaper Het Parool gave the performance four stars.