Maria

What if we could rediscover the world’s oldest book in a whole new light?

The story of Mary, as the Bible does not tell it: After he died on the cross, Jesus’ mother wants nothing to do with her son’s holiness. She is sceptical about his miracles, finds his disciples unbearable, is unsettled by the apostles’ interpretations, and has never come to terms with the pain of his loss. She tells us her perspective on the Passion of Christ – and, as a mother, of her very personal grief, her lack of piety and her stubbornness.

Through Mary’s eyes, the Irish author Colm Tóibín offers a completely new perspective on Christianity and creates an unexpectedly human portrait of the icon that is Mary.
The author Colm Tóibín was born in Ireland in 1955. He has published several non-fiction works, and his very first novel, *The South*, was enthusiastically acclaimed by critics. Tóibín’s books have won numerous awards. He is regarded as one of the most interesting English-language writers.

Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater comes into conflict, giving rise to a duel of perspectives that is renewed every evening. The feminine, alternative perspective stands in contrast to the beauty and rigidity of tradition as embodied in the oratorio.