The subject for La Passion de Simone was suggested to composer Kaija Saariaho by director Peter Sellars.
Composition History
La Passion de Simone, an oratorio for soprano solo, choir, orchestra, and electronics, was composed by Kaija Saariaho in 2006.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Composer Kaija Saariaho has been reading the writings of Simone Weil, the subject of this oratorio, since her youth.
Recording & Production
This recording was made in connection with a live concert performance in Helsinki, Finland, which featured a visual work developed by Jean-Baptiste Barrière.
Performer Biography
Dawn Upshaw, the soprano soloist, has championed numerous new works created for her, including two by Kaija Saariaho: L'Amour de loin and La Passion de Simone.
Compositional Technique
The oratorio's structure, with its fifteen 'stations,' echoes the Stations of the Cross, which depict Jesus's journey to Calvary.
Compositional Technique
The soprano soloist in the oratorio acts as a narrator, a sympathetic participant, Simone's imaginary sister, and eventually Simone Weil herself.
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