The
St Luke Passion (full title:
Passio et mors Domini nostri Jesu Christi secundum Lucam, or the
Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ According to St Luke) is a work for
chorus and
orchestra written in 1966 by Polish composer
Krzysztof Penderecki. The work (one of several musical settings of the
Passion story) contains text from the
Gospel of Luke as well as other sources such as the
Stabat Mater. Despite the
Passion's almost total
atonality and use of
avant-garde musical techniques, the musical public appreciated the work's stark power and direct emotional impact and the piece was performed several more times soon after its premiere on March 30, 1966.