![Johannespassion](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Johannespassion.jpg)
The ''Passio secundum Joannem'' or ''St John Passion'' (german: Johannes-Passion, link=no),
BWV
The (BWV; ; ) is a catalogue of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach. It was first published in 1950, edited by Wolfgang Schmieder. The catalogue's second edition appeared in 1990. An abbreviated version of that second edition, known as BWV2a ...
245, is a
Passion or
oratorio
An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is mus ...
by
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...
, the older of the surviving
Passions by Bach.
It was written during his first year as director of church music in Leipzig and was first performed on April 7, 1724, at
Good Friday
Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Hol ...
Vespers
Vespers is a service of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic (both Latin liturgical rites, Latin and Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern), Lutheranism, Lutheran, and Anglican ...
at the
St. Nicholas Church.
The
structure of the work falls in two halves, intended to flank a sermon. The anonymous libretto draws on existing works (notably by
Barthold Heinrich Brockes
Barthold Heinrich Brockes (September 22, 1680 – January 16, 1747) was a German poet.
He was born in Hamburg and educated at the Gelehrtenschule des Johanneums. He studied jurisprudence at Halle, and after extensive travels in Italy, France a ...
) and is compiled from
recitative
Recitative (, also known by its Italian name "''recitativo''" ()) is a style of delivery (much used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas) in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms and delivery of ordinary speech. Recitative does not repea ...
s and
choruses narrating the
Passion of Christ
In Christianity, the Passion (from the Latin verb ''patior, passus sum''; "to suffer, bear, endure", from which also "patience, patient", etc.) is the short final period in the life of Jesus Christ.
Depending on one's views, the "Passion" m ...
as told in the
Gospel of John
The Gospel of John ( grc, Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Ἰωάννην, translit=Euangélion katà Iōánnēn) is the fourth of the four canonical gospels. It contains a highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus, with seven "sig ...
,
arioso
In classical music, arioso (also aria parlante ) is a category of solo vocal piece, usually occurring in an opera or oratorio, falling somewhere between recitative and aria in style. Literally, arioso means ''airy''. The term arose in the 16th cen ...
s and
aria
In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...
s reflecting on the action, and
chorale
Chorale is the name of several related musical forms originating in the music genre of the Lutheran chorale:
* Hymn tune of a Lutheran hymn (e.g. the melody of "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme"), or a tune in a similar format (e.g. one of the t ...
s using hymn tunes and texts familiar to a congregation of Bach's contemporaries. Compared with the ''
St Matthew Passion
The ''St Matthew Passion'' (german: Matthäus-Passion, links=-no), BWV 244, is a '' Passion'', a sacred oratorio written by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1727 for solo voices, double choir and double orchestra, with libretto by Picander. It sets ...
'', the ''St John Passion'' has been described as more extravagant, with an expressive immediacy, at times more unbridled and less "finished".
The work is most often heard today in the 1739–1749 version (never performed during Bach's lifetime). Bach first performed the oratorio in 1724 and revised it in 1725, 1732, and 1749, adding several numbers. "", a 1725 replacement for the opening chorus, found a new home in the 1736 St Matthew Passion but several arias from the revisions are found only in the appendices to modern editions.
First performance
Originally Bach intended that the ''St John Passion'' would be first performed in the
St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, but due to a last-minute change by the music council, it was first performed on
Good Friday
Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Hol ...
(as observed by German Protestants) of 1724 in the St. Nicholas Church, shortly after Bach's 39th birthday.
Bach quickly agreed to their desire to move the service to St. Nicholas Church,
but pointed out that the booklet was already printed, that there was no room available and that the harpsichord
A harpsichord ( it, clavicembalo; french: clavecin; german: Cembalo; es, clavecín; pt, cravo; nl, klavecimbel; pl, klawesyn) is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. This activates a row of levers that turn a trigger mechanism ...
needed some repair, all of which, however, could be attended to at little cost; but he requested that a little additional room be provided in the choir loft of St. Nicholas Church, where he planned to place the musicians needed to perform the music. He also asked that the harpsichord be repaired.
The council agreed and sent a flyer announcing the new location to all the people around
Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...
. The council made the arrangements requested by Bach regarding the harpsichord and space needed for the choir.
Musical architecture and sources
The ''St John Passion'' is written for a four-part
choir
A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...
with soloists, as well as an instrumental ensemble of
strings
String or strings may refer to:
*String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
and
basso continuo
Basso continuo parts, almost universal in the Baroque era (1600–1750), provided the harmonic structure of the music by supplying a bassline and a chord progression. The phrase is often shortened to continuo, and the instrumentalists playing th ...
with pairs of
flauti traversi and
oboe
The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range.
A ...
s, the latter both doubling on
oboe da caccia
The oboe da caccia (; literally "hunting oboe" in Italian), also sometimes referred to as an oboe da silva, is a double reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family, pitched a fifth below the oboe and used primarily in the Baroque period of Europe ...
. For special colors Bach also used
lute
A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted.
More specifically, the term "lute" can ref ...
,
viola d'amore
The viola d'amore (; Italian for "viol of love") is a 7- or 6- stringed musical instrument with sympathetic strings used chiefly in the baroque period. It is played under the chin in the same manner as the violin.
Structure and sound
The viol ...
and
viola da gamba
The viol (), viola da gamba (), or informally gamba, is any one of a family of bowed, fretted, and stringed instruments with hollow wooden bodies and pegboxes where the tension on the strings can be increased or decreased to adjust the pitc ...
, instruments that were already old-fashioned at the time.
In present-day performances the part of Jesus is often given to one bass soloist, Pilate and the bass arias to another. Some tenors sing the
Evangelist
Evangelist may refer to:
Religion
* Four Evangelists, the authors of the canonical Christian Gospels
* Evangelism, publicly preaching the Gospel with the intention of spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ
* Evangelist (Anglican Church), a c ...
– a very demanding part – and the arias. The smaller parts (Peter, Maid, Servant) are sometimes performed by choir members.
Bach followed chapters 18 and 19 of the Gospel of John in the
Luther Bible
The Luther Bible (german: Lutherbibel) is a German language Bible translation from Latin sources by Martin Luther. The New Testament was first published in September 1522, and the complete Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments with Apocry ...
, and the tenor
Evangelist
Evangelist may refer to:
Religion
* Four Evangelists, the authors of the canonical Christian Gospels
* Evangelism, publicly preaching the Gospel with the intention of spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ
* Evangelist (Anglican Church), a c ...
follows exactly the words of that bible. The compiler of the additional poetry is unknown. Models are the
Brockes Passion
The ''Brockes Passion'', or ' (title in English: ''The Story of Jesus, Suffering and Dying for the Sins of the World''), is a German oratorio libretto by Barthold Heinrich Brockes, first published in 1712 and going through 30 or so editions in th ...
and a Johannes-Passion by
Christian Heinrich Postel
Christian Heinrich Postel (11 October 1658 – 22 March 1705) was a German jurist, epic poet and opera libretto, librettist, who wrote 28 libretti for the Oper am Gänsemarkt in Hamburg: set by composers such as Johann Philipp Förtsch, Reinhard Ke ...
. The first scene is in the
Kidron Valley
The Kidron Valley ( classical transliteration, ''Cedron'', from he, נחל קדרון, ''Naḥal Qidron'', literally Qidron River; also Qidron Valley) is the valley originating slightly northeast of the Old City of Jerusalem, which then separat ...
, and the second in the palace of the high priest
Kaiphas. Part Two shows three scenes, one with
Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilate (; grc-gre, Πόντιος Πιλᾶτος, ) was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official who presided over the trial of J ...
, one at
Golgatha
Calvary ( la, Calvariae or ) or Golgotha ( grc-gre, Γολγοθᾶ, ''Golgothâ'') was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where Jesus was said to have been crucified according to the canonical Gospels. Since at least the early mediev ...
, and the third finally at the burial site. The dramatic argument between Pilate,
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
, and the crowd is not interrupted by reflective elements but a single central chorale, #22 (note that this particular numbering is only used by the
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
).
Bach followed the Gospel of John but added two lines from the Gospel of Matthew, the crying of Peter and the tearing of the veil in the temple (in Version I, this second line was replaced by the line from the Gospel of Mark).
He chose the chorales:
* "
Herzliebster Jesu
"Herzliebster Jesu" (often translated into English as "Ah, Holy Jesus", sometimes as "O Dearest Jesus") is a Lutheran Passion hymn in German, written in 1630 by Johann Heermann, in 15 stanzas of 4 lines, first published in ''Devoti Musica Cordis'' ...
, was hast du verbrochen" by
Johann Heermann
Johann Heermann (11 October 158517 February 1647) was a German poet and hymnodist. He is commemorated in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church on 26 October with Philipp Nicolai and Paul Gerhardt.
Life
Heermann was born in Raudten (m ...
(1630), verse 6 for movement 3, verses 7 & 8 for 17,
* "
Vater unser im Himmelreich
"" (Our Father in Heaven) is a Lutheran hymn in German by Martin Luther. He wrote the paraphrase of the Lord's Prayer in 1538, corresponding to his explanation of the prayer in his (''Small Catechism''). He dedicated one stanza to each of the sev ...
" by
Martin Luther
Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Reformation, Protestant Refo ...
(1539), verse 4 for movement 5,
* "" by
Paul Gerhardt
Paul Gerhardt (12 March 1607 – 27 May 1676) was a German theologian, Lutheran minister and hymnodist.
Biography
Gerhardt was born into a middle-class family at Gräfenhainichen, a small town between Halle and Wittenberg. His father died in ...
(1647), verses 3 & 4 for movement 11,
* "
Jesu Leiden, Pein und Tod
"" (Suffering, pain and death of Jesus) is a German Lutheran hymn by Paul Stockmann. Written in 34 stanzas and published in 1633, it narrates the Passion of Jesus. It was sung to a melody by Melchior Vulpius. Johann Sebastian Bach used three of its ...
" by
Paul Stockmann
Paul or Paulus Stockmann (3 January 1603 – 6 September 1636) was a German academic, preacher and hymn-writer. He fought at the Battle of Lützen in 1632 and later served as court preacher to Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, before dying of the pla ...
(1633), verse 10 for movement 14, verse 20 for 28, the last verse for 32,
* "Christus, der uns selig macht" by
Michael Weiße
Michael Weiße or Weisse ( – 19 March 1534) was a German theologian, Protestant reformer and hymn writer. First a Franciscan, he joined the Bohemian Brethren. He published the most extensive early Protestant hymnal in 1531, supplying most hymn ...
(1531), verse 1 for movement 15, verse 8 for 37,
* "
Valet will ich dir geben
"" is a Lutheran hymn written by Valerius Herberger in 1613. It is a ' (hymn for the dying). The text was published with two hymn tunes by Melchior Teschner, Zahn Nos. 5403 and 5404a, in 1615. The second of these melodies was used in composi ...
" by
Valerius Herberger
Valerius Herberger (21 April 1562 – 18 May 1627) was a German Lutheran preacher and theologian.
Life
He was born at Fraustadt, Silesia (now Wschowa in Poland). He studied for three years at Freystadt in Silesia (now Kożuchów in Poland), and ...
(1613), verse 3 for movement 26,
* "Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, o Herr" by
Martin Schalling
Martin Schalling the Younger (21 April 1532 – 29 December 1608) was a Protestant theologian, reformer and hymnwriter. He was the son of Martin Schalling the Elder.
Life
Schalling was born in Strasbourg in 1532. He studied in Wittenberg and ...
(1571), verse 3 for movement 40.
For the words of the aria "Ach, mein Sinn" (#13), Bach used an adaptation of a 1675 poem by
Christian Weise
Christian Weise (30 April 1642 – 21 October 1708), also known under the pseudonyms Siegmund Gleichviel, Orontes, Catharinus Civilis and Tarquinius Eatullus, was a German writer, dramatist, poet, pedagogue and librarian of the Baroque era. He prod ...
, "Der weinende Petrus".
For the central chorale (#22) "Durch dein Gefängnis, Gottes Sohn, muß uns die Freiheit kommen" ("Through Your prison, Son of God, must freedom come to us) Bach adapted the words of an aria from the Johannes-Passion of Christian Heinrich Postel (1700) and used the melody of "Mach's mit mir, Gott, nach deiner Güt" by
Johann Hermann Schein
Johann Hermann Schein (20 January 1586 – 19 November 1630) was a German composer of the early Baroque era. He was Thomaskantor in Leipzig from 1615 to 1630. He was one of the first to import the early Italian stylistic innovations into German ...
. The architecture of Part Two shows symmetry around this movement, the music of the preceding chorus #21f "Wir haben ein Gesetz" corresponds to #23b "Lässest du diesen los", the demand #21d "Kreuzige ihn!" is repeated in an intensified way in #23d "Weg, weg mit dem, kreuzige ihn!", #21b "Sei gegrüßet, lieber Jüdenkönig" reappears as #25b "Schreibe nicht: der Jüden König".
Versions
Researchers have discovered that Bach revised his ''St John Passion'' several times before producing a final version in the 1740s. Alternate numbers that Bach introduced in 1725 but later removed can be found in the appendix to scores of the work, such as that of the
Neue Bach-Ausgabe
The New Bach Edition (NBE) (german: Neue Bach-Ausgabe; NBA), is the second complete edition of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, published by Bärenreiter. The name is short for Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750): New Edition of the Complete Wo ...
(and heard in the recording by Emmanuel Music directed by
Craig Smith, cited below).
The ''St John Passion'' was not Bach's first passion. While he was working as Konzertmeister (1714–1717) in Weimar, Bach possibly wrote a Passion, known as the ''
Weimarer Passion
The ''Weimarer Passion'', BWV deest ( BC D 1), is a hypothetical Passion oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach, thought to have possibly been performed on Good Friday 26 March 1717 at Gotha on the basis of a payment of 12 Thaler on 12 April 1717 to ...
'', but it is now lost.
Sometimes while listening to the ''St John Passion'' today one can sense an older feel to some of the music, and some scholars believe that those portions are the surviving parts of the Weimar Passion.
Unlike the ''St Matthew Passion'', to which Bach made very few and insignificant changes, the ''St John Passion'' was subject to several major revisions. The version most familiar to us today is not the original version from 1724, but rather the version of 1739–1749.
In the 1724 version, the Recitative Movement No. 33 reads "Und die Vorhang im Tempel zerriß in zwei Stück; von oben an bis unten aus." (Mark 15, 33) and was in 3 measures. From 1725 on, this was replaced by the more familiar 7-measure quote from Matthew 27: 51–52 (except in the 3rd version, in which this was taken out altogether).
In 1725, Bach replaced the opening and closing choruses and added three arias (
BWV
The (BWV; ; ) is a catalogue of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach. It was first published in 1950, edited by Wolfgang Schmieder. The catalogue's second edition appeared in 1990. An abbreviated version of that second edition, known as BWV2a ...
245a-c) while cutting one (''Ach, mein Sinn'') from the original version.
The opening chorus was replaced by ''O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß'', which was later transposed and reused at the end of part one of the ''St Matthew Passion''.
The closing chorale was replaced by a brilliant setting of "
Christe, du Lamm Gottes
"" (lit. "Christ, you Lamb of God") is a Lutheran hymn, often referred to as the German Agnus Dei. Martin Luther wrote the words of the hymn as a translation of the Latin Agnus Dei from the liturgy of the mass. The tune, Zahn 58, was taken f ...
", taken from the cantata
''Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn'', BWV 23.
The three new arias are not known to have been reused.
In the 1730s, Bach revised the ''St John Passion'' again, restoring the original opening chorus, removing the final Chorale (thus ending the work with the choral Movement No. 39), and removing the three new arias.
He also excised the two interpolations from the Gospel of Matthew that appeared in the work, probably due to objections by the ecclesiastical authorities.
The first of these he simply removed; he composed a new instrumental sinfonia in lieu of the second.
He also inserted an aria to replace the still-missing ''Ach, mein Sinn''.
Neither the aria nor the sinfonia has been preserved. Overall, Bach chose to keep the biblical text, and inserted Lutheran hymn verses so that he could return the work to its liturgical substance.
In 1749, he reverted more or less to the original of 1724, making only slight changes to the orchestration, most notably replacing the by-then almost obsolete
viola d'amore
The viola d'amore (; Italian for "viol of love") is a 7- or 6- stringed musical instrument with sympathetic strings used chiefly in the baroque period. It is played under the chin in the same manner as the violin.
Structure and sound
The viol ...
with
muted
Protein Muted homolog is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''MUTED'' gene.
Function
This gene encodes a component of BLOC-1 (biogenesis of lysosome-related organelles complex 1). Components of this complex are involved in the biogenesi ...
violin
The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...
s.
Also, Bach's orchestra for this piece would have been very delicate in nature because he called for many gamba strings.
In the summer of 1815, Bach's Passions began to be studied once again. Parts of the ''St John Passion'' were being rehearsed and the ''St Matthew Passion'' was soon to follow. Fred Wolle, with his Choral Union of 1888 at the Moravian town of
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Northampton and Lehigh Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, Bethlehem had a total population of 75,781. Of this, 55,639 were in Northampton County and 19, ...
, was the first to perform the ''St John Passion'' in the Americas. This spurred a revival of Bach's choral music in the New World.
Congregational use
While writing the ''St John Passion'', Bach intended to retain the congregational spirit of the worship service.
The text for the body of the work is taken from the
Gospel of John
The Gospel of John ( grc, Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Ἰωάννην, translit=Euangélion katà Iōánnēn) is the fourth of the four canonical gospels. It contains a highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus, with seven "sig ...
chapters 18 and 19.
To augment these chapters, which he summarized in the music, Bach used an elaborate body of commentary consisting of hymns, which were often called chorales, and arias. He adhered to
Martin Luther
Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Reformation, Protestant Refo ...
's translation of the Bible and made no noticeable modifications. Bach proved that the sacred opera as a musical genre did not have to become shallow in liturgical use by remaining loyal to the ''
cantus firmus
In music, a ''cantus firmus'' ("fixed melody") is a pre-existing melody forming the basis of a polyphonic composition.
The plural of this Latin term is , although the corrupt form ''canti firmi'' (resulting from the grammatically incorrect tr ...
'' and the scriptural word.
He did not want the ''Passion'' taken as a lesser sacred concert.
The text for the opening prayer, "Herr, unser Herrscher, dessen Ruhm", as well as the arias, chorales and the penultimate chorus "Ruht wohl, ihr heiligen Gebeine", come from various other sources. Two recitative passages, the first dealing with Peter's weeping after his betrayal and the second portraying the temple veil's ripping during the crucifixion, do not appear in the Gospel of John, but the
Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel of Matthew), or simply Matthew. It is most commonly abbreviated as "Matt." is the first book of the New Testament of the Bible and one of the three synoptic Gospels. It tells how Israel's Messiah, Jesus, comes to his people and for ...
.
A modern example originating in
Communist
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
Hungary demonstrates the congregational character of ''St John Passion''. In the early 1950s musicians were allowed to play church music only in the frame of
liturgy
Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...
. However, the ''St John Passion'' is an almost complete
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
liturgy
Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...
, focused on the ''
Evangelium''. Hence, by inserting four missing features, the whole Passion could be performed as if it were part of the liturgy.
There would have been no applause, either at the beginning or at the end. The Passion contains quite a few
chorale
Chorale is the name of several related musical forms originating in the music genre of the Lutheran chorale:
* Hymn tune of a Lutheran hymn (e.g. the melody of "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme"), or a tune in a similar format (e.g. one of the t ...
s that were in regular use in worship. The congregation and the audience, however, remained silent.
Highlights
* opening chorus: "Herr, unser Herrscher ..." ("Lord, our master, ..."). There is an orchestral intonation of 36 bars before the explosive entrance of the chorus. Each of these bars is a single stress of lower tones, weakening till the end of the bar. These bass beats are accompanied by the remaining instruments of higher tunes, by
legato
In music performance and notation, legato (; Italian for "tied together"; French ''lié''; German ''gebunden'') indicates that musical notes are played or sung smoothly and connected. That is, the player makes a transition from note to note wit ...
singing the prospective theme. The last six bars of the orchestral intro produce a robust
crescendo
In music, the dynamics of a piece is the variation in loudness between notes or phrases. Dynamics are indicated by specific musical notation, often in some detail. However, dynamics markings still require interpretation by the performer dependi ...
, arriving to shouting forte initial three bars of the chorus, where the chorus joins to the long sequence of deep stresses by ''Herr, Herr, Herr''. Soon, after the first portion of the theme, comes the triple ''Herr, Herr, Herr'' again, but this time, at the end of the bars, as a contra answer for the corresponding orchestral deep stresses at the beginning of the bars. Finally, the entire A section is repeated."Herr, unser Herrscher" and "O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß" are very different in character.
The latter is full of torment in its text, but a serenely majestic piece of music. "Herr, unser Herrscher" sounds as if it has chains of dissonance between the two oboes and the turmoil of the
roiling sixteenth notes in the strings. Especially, when they invade the bass, it is full of anguish and therefore it characterizes the ''St John Passion''.
* commenting arias: The first part of the ''St John Passion'' includes three commenting arias. There is an alto aria, "Von den Stricken meiner Sünden" (From the bonds of my sins). This includes an intertwined oboe line that brings back many characteristics of the opening chorus.
Another aria is an enchanting flute and soprano duet, "Ich folge dir gleichfalls". In this piece the verbs "ziehen" (to pull) and "schieben" (to push) stimulate Bach's delight in musical illustration.
The third aria is a passionate tenor solo that is accompanied by all the instruments, "Ach, mein Sinn" (O my soul).
* the death of Jesus: "Es ist vollbracht! ..." ("It is accomplished; what comfort for suffering human souls! I can see the end of the night of sorrow. The hero from Judah ends his victorious fight. It is accomplished!"). The central part is essentially a
viola da gamba
The viol (), viola da gamba (), or informally gamba, is any one of a family of bowed, fretted, and stringed instruments with hollow wooden bodies and pegboxes where the tension on the strings can be increased or decreased to adjust the pitc ...
solo and an
alto
The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: ''altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In 4-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in choruses by ...
aria. The theme is introduced by the viola da gamba gently accompanied by the
basso continuo
Basso continuo parts, almost universal in the Baroque era (1600–1750), provided the harmonic structure of the music by supplying a bassline and a chord progression. The phrase is often shortened to continuo, and the instrumentalists playing th ...
setting. Then comes the solo vocal interpretation.
* closing chorale: ''Ach Herr, lass dein lieb Engelein ...'' (''O Lord, let your dear little angels ...''). This chorale – with alternative lyrics – is still in regular use in the congregations.
[se]
the score
of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Hungary
The Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Hungary (ELCH; hu, Magyarországi Evangélikus Egyház) is a Protestant Lutheran denomination in Hungary. In 2019, there were 176,000 baptized members.
The church has three dioceses, with nearly 300 parishes an ...
The beginning of the theme is a descending sequence, but in overall the theme is full of emotion as well.
Singing this chorale standalone, however, does not sound as a closing chorale, except if it is sung at the end of a real ceremony.
Criticism
The text Bach set to music has been criticized as
anti-Semitic
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism.
Antis ...
.
This accusation is closely connected to a wider controversy regarding the tone of the
New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...
's Gospel of John with regards to
Judaism
Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...
.
Lukas Foss
Lukas Foss (August 15, 1922 – February 1, 2009) was a German-American composer, pianist, and conductor.
Career
Born Lukas Fuchs in Berlin, Germany in 1922, Foss was soon recognized as a child prodigy. He began piano and theory lessons with J ...
, who came to the United States in 1937 as a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany, changed the text from "Juden" to "Leute" (people) when he conducted performances of the work.
This has been the trend of numerous mainline Christian denominations since the late 20th century as well, for instance, the
Episcopal Church, when they read the gospel during
Good Friday
Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Hol ...
services.
Michael Marissen
Michael Marissen (born July 31, 1960 in Hamilton, Ontario) is a Canadian professor of music at Swarthmore College, where he joined the faculty in 1989. Marissen studied music history at Calvin College and received his PhD from Brandeis University. ...
's ''Lutheranism, Anti-Judaism, and Bach's 'St John's Passion' '' examines the controversy in detail. He concludes that Bach's ''St John Passion'' and ''St Matthew Passion'' contain fewer statements derogatory toward Jews than many other contemporary musical settings of the Passion. He also noted that Bach used words for the commenting arias and hymns that tended to shift the blame for the death of Jesus from "the Jews" to the congregation of Christians.
See also
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St John Passion discography
Recordings of the ''St John Passion'' are shown as a sortable table of selected notable recordings of Johann Sebastian Bach's '' St John Passion'', BWV 245. The selection is taken from the 241 recordings listed on bach-cantatas as of 2015.
Histo ...
References
Notes
Sources
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Further reading
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Alfred Dürr
Alfred Dürr (3 March 1918 – 7 April 2011) was a German musicologist. He was a principal editor of the Neue Bach-Ausgabe, the second edition of the complete works of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Professional career
Dürr studied musicology and Clas ...
. ''Johann Sebastian Bach, St John Passion: Genesis, Transmission, and Meaning''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. .
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* Markus Rathey. ''Johann Sebastian Bach's 'St John Passion' from 1725: A Liturgical Interpretation'', Colloquium 4 (2007
Colloquium 4 (2007)
External links
''St John Passion'' performance by the
Netherlands Bach Society
The Netherlands Bach Society ( nl, Nederlandse Bachvereniging) is the oldest ensemble for Baroque music in the Netherlands, and possibly in the world. The ensemble was founded in 1921 in Naarden to perform Johann Sebastian Bach, Bach's ''St Matthew ...
(video and background information)
''St John Passion'' (1725 version) performance by the
Netherlands Bach Society
The Netherlands Bach Society ( nl, Nederlandse Bachvereniging) is the oldest ensemble for Baroque music in the Netherlands, and possibly in the world. The ensemble was founded in 1921 in Naarden to perform Johann Sebastian Bach, Bach's ''St Matthew ...
(video and background information)
*
''St John Passion'' text (in many languages), details, recordings, reviews, discussions – bach-cantatas.com
– emmanuelmusic.org
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Passions and oratorios by Johann Sebastian Bach
1724 compositions