![BWV 244 Titelblatt](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/BWV_244_Titelblatt.svg)
The ''St Matthew Passion'' (german: Matthäus-Passion, links=-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 ...
244, is a ''
Passion'', a sacred
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 ...
written 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 ...
in 1727 for solo voices, double
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 ...
and double
orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
, with
libretto
A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...
by
Picander
Christian Friedrich Henrici (January 14, 1700 – May 10, 1764), writing under the pen name Picander, was a German poet and librettist for many of the cantatas which Johann Sebastian Bach composed in Leipzig.
Henrici was born in Stolpen. He studi ...
. It sets the
26th and
27th chapters of 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 ...
(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 ...
) to music, with interspersed
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 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. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest masterpieces of
Baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
sacred music
Religious music (also sacred music) is a type of music that is performed or composed for religious use or through religious influence. It may overlap with ritual music, which is music, sacred or not, performed or composed for or as ritual. Relig ...
. The original Latin title translates to "The Passion of our Lord
J C[hrist">susC[hrist">rist.html" ;"title="susC[hrist">susC[hristaccording to the Evangelist Matthew".
[Markus Rathey. 2016. ''Bach's Major Vocal Works. Music, Drama, Liturgy'', Yale University Press]
History
![Jsbwv244](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Jsbwv244.jpg)
The ''St Matthew Passion'' is the second of two
Passion settings by Bach that have survived in their entirety, the first being the ''
St John Passion
The ''Passio secundum Joannem'' or ''St John Passion'' (german: Johannes-Passion, link=no), BWV 245, is a Passion or oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach, the older of the surviving Passions by Bach. It was written during his first year as direc ...
'', first performed in 1724.
Versions and contemporaneous performances
Little is known with certainty about the creation process of the ''St Matthew Passion''. The available information derives from extant early manuscripts, contemporary publications of the libretto, and circumstantial data, for instance in documents archived by the Town Council of Leipzig.
The ''St Matthew Passion'' was probably first performed on 11 April (Good Friday) 1727 in the
St. Thomas Church, and again on 15 April 1729, 30 March 1736, and 23 March 1742. Bach then revised it again between 1743 and 1746.
First version (BWV 244.1, previously 244b)
In
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 ...
it was not allowed to paraphrase the words of the Gospel in a Passion presentation 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 ...
. A setting of the then-popular ''
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 ...
'' libretto, largely consisting of such paraphrasing, could not be done without replacing the paraphrases by actual Gospel text. That was the option chosen by Bach for his 1724 ''St John Passion''. In 1725 Christian Friedrich Henrici, a Leipzig poet who used
Picander
Christian Friedrich Henrici (January 14, 1700 – May 10, 1764), writing under the pen name Picander, was a German poet and librettist for many of the cantatas which Johann Sebastian Bach composed in Leipzig.
Henrici was born in Stolpen. He studi ...
as his pen name, had published ("Edifying Thoughts on
Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday (also known as Great and Holy Thursday, Holy and Great Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Sheer Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries, among other names) is the day during Holy Week that commemorates the Washing of the ...
and Good Friday"), containing free verse suitable for a Passion presentation in addition to the Gospel text. Bach seems to have stimulated the poet to write more of such verse in order to come to a full-fledged libretto for a Passion presentation combined with the Passion text chapters 26 and 27 in the
Gospel of St 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 form ...
.
Since 1975, it has usually been assumed that Bach's ''St Matthew Passion'' was first performed on Good Friday 11 April 1727, although its first performance may have been as late as Good Friday 1729, as older sources assert.
[Spitta 1884, pp]
477–569
/ref> The performance took place in the St. Thomas Church (''Thomaskirche'') in Leipzig. Bach had been Thomaskantor
(Cantor at St. Thomas) is the common name for the musical director of the , now an internationally known boys' choir founded in Leipzig in 1212. The official historic title of the Thomaskantor in Latin, ', describes the two functions of cantor a ...
(i.e., Cantor
A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. In formal Jewish worship, a cantor is a person who sings solo verses or passages to which the choir or congregation responds.
In Judaism, a cantor sings and lead ...
, and responsible for the music in the church) since 1723. In this version the Passion was written for two choruses and orchestras. Choir I consists of a soprano
A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...
in ripieno The ripieno (, Italian for "stuffing" or "padding") is the bulk of instrumental parts of a musical ensemble who do not play as soloists, especially in Baroque music. These are the players who would play in sections marked ''tutti'', as opposed to so ...
voice, a soprano solo, 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 ...
solo, a tenor solo, SATB
SATB is an initialism that describes the scoring of compositions for choirs, and also choirs (or consorts) of instruments. The initials are for the voice types: S for soprano, A for alto, T for tenor and B for bass.
Choral music
Four-part harm ...
chorus, two traverso
The Western concert flute is a family of transverse (side-blown) woodwind instruments made of metal or wood. It is the most common variant of the flute. A musician who plays the flute is called a flautist (in British English), flutist (in Ameri ...
s, two 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, two oboes d'amore
The oboe d'amore (; Italian for "oboe of love"), less commonly , is a double reed woodwind musical instrument in the oboe family. Slightly larger than the oboe, it has a less assertive and a more tranquil and serene tone, and is considered the ...
, two oboes da caccia, 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 ...
, strings (two 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 ...
sections, viola
The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...
s and cello
The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...
s), and continuo (at least organ). Choir II consists of SATB voices, violin I, violin II, viola, 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 ...
, cello, two traversos, two oboes (d'amore) and possibly continuo.[Bach-digital, BWV 244b]
Funeral cantata for Köthen (BWV 1143, previously 244a)
''Klagt, Kinder, klagt es aller Welt'', BWV 244a, a cantata of which only the text is extant, was performed 24 March 1729 in Köthen at a memorial service held some months after the death of Leopold, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen
Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen (29 November 1694 – 19 November 1728) was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Köthen. Today, he is best remembered for employing Johann Sebastian Bach as his Kapellmeister ...
. The music of the cantata consisted largely of music adapted from the ''St Matthew Passion''.
Passion performances in the St. Thomas Church
At the time only men sang in church: high pitch vocal parts were usually performed by treble choristers. In 1730, Bach informed the Leipzig Town Council as to what he saw as the number of singers that should be available for the churches under his responsibility, including those for the St. Thomas Church: a choir of twelve singers, plus eight singers that would serve both St. Thomas and the ''Peterskirche
The ''Peterskirche'' ( en, St. Peter's Church) is a Baroque Catholic Church, Roman Catholic parish church in Vienna, Austria. It was transferred in 1970 by the Archbishop of Vienna Franz König, Franz Cardinal König to the priests of the Opus ...
''. The request was only partially granted by the Town Council, so possibly at least some of the Passion presentations in St. Thomas were with fewer than twenty singers, even for the large scale works, like the ''St Matthew Passion'', that were written for double choir.
In Bach's time, St. Thomas Church had two organ lofts: the large organ loft that was used throughout the year for musicians performing in Sunday services, vespers, etc., and the small organ loft, situated at the opposite side of the former, that was used additionally in the grand services for Christmas and Easter. The ''St Matthew Passion'' was composed as to perform a single work from both organ lofts at the same time: Chorus and orchestra I would occupy the large organ loft, and Chorus and orchestra II performed from the small organ loft. The size of the organ lofts limited the number of performers for each Choir. Large choruses, in addition to the instrumentists indicated for Choir I and II, would have been impossible, so also here there is an indication that each part (including those of strings and singers) would have a limited number of performers, where, for the choruses, the numbers indicated by Bach in his 1730 request would appear to be (more than?) a maximum of what could be fitted in the organ lofts.
Later revisions and performances (BWV 244.2, previously 244)
Bach revised the Passion by 1736, for a performance on Good Friday 30 March 1736. This is the version (with some possible later adjustments) that is generally known as the ''St Matthew Passion'', BWV 244. In this version both choirs have SATB soloists and chorus, and a string section and continuo consisting of at least violins I and II, viola, gamba and organ. The woodwinds are two traversos, oboes and oboes d'amore for each choir, and in addition for choir I two oboes da caccia.[Bach-digital, BWV 244]
Some parts were adjusted for a new performance on Good Friday 23 March 1742. Bach finalized his autograph score in 1743–1746; however, this undertaking was not tied to any new performance.
Numbering of the movements
Bach did not number the sections of the ''St Matthew Passion'', all of them vocal movements
Movement may refer to:
Common uses
* Movement (clockwork), the internal mechanism of a timepiece
* Motion, commonly referred to as movement
Arts, entertainment, and media
Literature
* "Movement" (short story), a short story by Nancy Fu ...
, but twentieth-century scholars have done so. The two main schemes in use today are the scheme from 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 ...
(NBA, New Bach Edition) which uses a 1 through 68 numbering system, and the older Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis
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 ...
(BWV, Bach Works Catalog) scheme which divides the work into 78 numbers. Both use lettered subsections in some cases. This article is written using the NBA numbering system.
Text
Bach worked together with his librettist, Christian Friedrich Henrici, known as Picander
Christian Friedrich Henrici (January 14, 1700 – May 10, 1764), writing under the pen name Picander, was a German poet and librettist for many of the cantatas which Johann Sebastian Bach composed in Leipzig.
Henrici was born in Stolpen. He studi ...
who published the text of the libretto of the ''St Matthew Passion'' in 1729.
Bible text
The Bible text used for Part One is . Part Two uses and .
Additionally, Song of Songs 6:1 is used in the opening aria (with chorus) of Part Two ( No. 30).
Free verse
Picander wrote text for recitatives and arias, and for the large scale choral movements that open and close the Passion. Other libretto sections came from publications by Salomo Franck
Salomon (also Salomo) Franck, 6 March 1659 – 11 July 1725), was a German lawyer, scientist, and poet. Franck was working at Weimar at the same time as the composer Johann Sebastian Bach and he was the librettist of some of the best-kn ...
and 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 ...
.[Booklet of ''Johann Sebastian Bach: Matthäus-Passion'' Karl Richter, Münchener Bach-Orchester et al. Archiv Produktion 1980]
Chorales
The chorale melodies and their texts would have been known to those attending the services in the St Thomas church. The oldest chorale Bach used in the ''St Matthew Passion'' dates from 1525. Three chorales are written 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 ...
and Bach included five stanzas from his ''O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden
O, or o, is the fifteenth Letter (alphabet), letter and the fourth vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in ...
''. Bach used the hymns in different ways, most are four-part setting, two as the of the two chorale fantasias framing Part I, one as a commenting element in a tenor recitative.
In the early version BWV 244b the chorale No. 17 appears to be missing, and movement No. 29, concluding Part One, is a four-part setting of the chorale "Jesum lass ich nicht von mir" instead of the chorale fantasia on "O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß".
Composition
Many composers wrote musical settings of the Passion in the late 17th century. Like other Baroque 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 ...
passions, Bach's setting presents the Biblical
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
text of Matthew
Matthew may refer to:
* Matthew (given name)
* Matthew (surname)
* ''Matthew'' (ship), the replica of the ship sailed by John Cabot in 1497
* ''Matthew'' (album), a 2000 album by rapper Kool Keith
* Matthew (elm cultivar), a cultivar of the Ch ...
26–27 in a relatively simple way, primarily using 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 ...
, while 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 ...
and 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 ...
movements set newly written poetic texts which comment on the various events in the Biblical narrative and present the characters' states of mind in a lyrical, monologue-like manner.
The ''St Matthew Passion'' is set for two choirs and two orchestras. Both include two transverse flutes (Choir 1 also includes 2 recorders for No. 19), two oboes, in certain movements instead oboe d'amore
The oboe d'amore (; Italian for "oboe of love"), less commonly , is a double reed woodwind musical instrument in the oboe family. Slightly larger than the oboe, it has a less assertive and a more tranquil and serene tone, and is considered the me ...
or 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 ...
, two violins, viola, 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 ...
, 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 ...
. For practical reasons the continuo organ is often shared and played with both orchestras. In many arias a solo instrument or more create a specific mood, such as the central soprano aria No. 49, "", where the absence of strings and basso continuo mark a desperate loss of security.
Vocal parts
Two distinctive aspects of Bach's setting spring from his other church endeavors. One is the double-choir format, which stems from his own double-choir motet
In Western classical music, a motet is mainly a vocal musical composition, of highly diverse form and style, from high medieval music to the present. The motet was one of the pre-eminent polyphonic forms of Renaissance music. According to Margar ...
s and those of many other composers with which he routinely started Sunday services. The other is the extensive use of 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, which appear in standard four-part settings, as interpolations in arias, and as a 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 ...
in large polyphonic
Polyphony ( ) is a type of musical texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody, as opposed to a musical texture with just one voice, monophony, or a texture with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords, h ...
movements. This is notable in "", the conclusion of the first half – a movement which Bach also used as an opening chorus for the second version (1725) of his ''St John Passion
The ''Passio secundum Joannem'' or ''St John Passion'' (german: Johannes-Passion, link=no), BWV 245, is a Passion or oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach, the older of the surviving Passions by Bach. It was written during his first year as direc ...
'' (later – ca. 1730 – he reverted to the originally composed "Herr, unser Herrscher" there). The opening chorus, "" is also notable for the use of chorale cantus firmus, in which the ''soprano in ripieno'' crowns a colossal buildup of polyphonic and harmonic
A harmonic is a wave with a frequency that is a positive integer multiple of the ''fundamental frequency'', the frequency of the original periodic signal, such as a sinusoidal wave. The original signal is also called the ''1st harmonic'', the ...
tension, singing a verse of "". This was sung only in 1742 and 1743–1746 and had been played on the organ before.
Gospel parts
The narration of the Gospel texts is sung by the tenor
A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...
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 ...
in ''secco'' 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 ...
accompanied only by continuo. Soloists sing the words of various characters, also in recitative; in addition to 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 ...
, there are named parts for Judas
Judas Iscariot (; grc-x-biblical, Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης; syc, ܝܗܘܕܐ ܣܟܪܝܘܛܐ; died AD) was a disciple and one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. According to all four canonical gospels, Judas betraye ...
, Peter
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a sur ...
, two high priests (Pontifex I & II), 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 ...
, Pilate's wife (Uxor Pilati), two witnesses (Testis I & II) and two ''ancillae'' (maids). These are not always sung by all different soloists. The "character" soloists are also often assigned arias and sing with the choirs, a practice not always followed by modern performances. Two duets are sung by a pair of soloists representing two simultaneous speakers. A number of passages for several speakers, called ''turba
Turba is a word used in Latin and Arabic languages. Its Latin meaning is uproar or crowd.
Turba is a word means high carbon containing soil which is a precursor of coal anthracite and even rare gems Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve
Latin ...
'' (crowd) parts, are sung by one of the two choirs or both.
The words of Jesus, also termed ''Vox Christi
Vox (Latin for 'voice') may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Fictional characters
* Vox (DC Universe character), Mal Duncan
* Vox, several characters in the anime series '' Lagrange: The Flower of Rin-ne''
* Gleeman Vox, from the ''Ratche ...
'' (voice of Christ), usually receive special treatment. Bach created particularly distinctive accompagnato recitatives in this work: they are accompanied not by continuo alone, but also by the entire string section of the first orchestra using long, sustained notes and "highlighting" certain words, thus creating an effect often referred to as Jesus's "halo". Only his final words
A person's last words, their final articulated words stated prior to death or as death approaches, are often recorded because of the decedent's fame, but sometimes because of interest in the statement itself. (People dying of illness are frequen ...
, in Aramaic
The Aramaic languages, short Aramaic ( syc, ܐܪܡܝܐ, Arāmāyā; oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; tmr, אֲרָמִית), are a language family containing many varieties (languages and dialects) that originated in ...
, ''Eli, Eli lama asabthani?'' ( My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?), are sung without this "halo".
In the revision of 1743–1746, it is also these words (the Vox Christi) that receive a sustained continuo part. In all prior versions (1727/1729, 1736, and 1742), the continuo part was sustained in all recitatives.
Interpolated texts
The arias, set to texts by Picander
Christian Friedrich Henrici (January 14, 1700 – May 10, 1764), writing under the pen name Picander, was a German poet and librettist for many of the cantatas which Johann Sebastian Bach composed in Leipzig.
Henrici was born in Stolpen. He studi ...
, are interspersed between sections of the Gospel text. They are sung by soloists with a variety of instrumental accompaniments, typical of the oratorio style. The interpolated texts theologically and personally interpret the Gospel texts. Many of them include the listener into the action, such as the chorale No. 10, "" ("It is I who should suffer"), after eleven disciples asked "" (Lord, is it I?) – meaning: Am I the one going to betray? The alto aria No. 6, "", portrays a desire to anoint Jesus with her tears out of remorse. The bass aria No. 65, "Mache dich, mein Herze, rein", offers to bury Jesus himself. Jesus is often referred to as "my Jesus". The chorus alternates between participating in the narrative and commenting on it.
As is typical of settings of the Passion (and originating in its liturgical use on Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels. Palm Sunday marks the first day of Holy ...
), there is no mention of the Resurrection
Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, which ...
in any of these texts (apart from indirect allusions at Matthew 26:32 and 27:53 and 63). Following the concept of Anselm of Canterbury
Anselm of Canterbury, OSB (; 1033/4–1109), also called ( it, Anselmo d'Aosta, link=no) after his birthplace and (french: Anselme du Bec, link=no) after his monastery, was an Italian Benedictine monk, abbot, philosopher and theologian of th ...
, the crucifixion
Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross or beam and left to hang until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation. It was used as a punishment by the Persians, Carthagin ...
is the endpoint and the source of redemption; the emphasis is on the suffering of Jesus. The chorus sings, in the final chorale No. 62, "tear me from my fears / through your own fear and pain." The bass, referring to the "sweet cross" expresses in No. 56, "Yes, of course this flesh and blood in us / want to be forced to the cross; / the better it is for our soul, / the more bitter it feels."
The first "" chorale compares Jesus' crucifixion to the ritual sacrifice of an Old Testament
The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The ...
lamb, as an offering for sin. This theme is reinforced by the concluding chorale of the first part, (O man, bewail your great sin).
Compositional style
Bach's recitatives often set the mood for the particular passages by highlighting emotionally charged words such as "crucify", "kill", or "mourn" with chromatic melodies. Diminished seventh
In classical music from Western culture, a diminished seventh () is an interval produced by narrowing a minor seventh by a chromatic semitone.Benward & Saker (2003). ''Music: In Theory and Practice, Vol. I'', p.54. . Specific example of an d7 ...
chords and sudden modulations accompany Jesus's apocalyptic prophecies.
In the turba parts, the two choruses sometimes alternate in cori spezzati
The Venetian polychoral style was a type of music of the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras which involved spatially separate choirs singing in alternation. It represented a major stylistic shift from the prevailing polyphonic writing of t ...
style (e.g. "") and sometimes sing together (""). Other times only one chorus sings (chorus I always takes the parts of the disciples) or they alternate, for example when "some bystanders" say "He's calling for Elijah", and "others" say "Wait to see if Elijah comes to help him."
In the arias, obbligato
In Western classical music, ''obbligato'' (, also spelled ''obligato'') usually describes a musical line that is in some way indispensable in performance. Its opposite is the marking ''ad libitum''. It can also be used, more specifically, to indica ...
instruments are equal partners with the voices, as was customary in late Baroque arias. Bach often uses madrigalisms, as in "", where the flutes start playing a raindrop-like staccato
Staccato (; Italian for "detached") is a form of musical articulation. In modern notation, it signifies a note of shortened duration, separated from the note that may follow by silence. It has been described by theorists and has appeared in music ...
as the alto sings of drops of his tears falling. In "", the line about the serpent is set with a twisting melody. In "''Erbarm es, Gott''", the relentless dotted rhythm of the diminished chords evoke the emotional shock of the scourging.
Structure
As in other Passion oratorio
In Christian music, a Passion is a setting of the Passion of Christ. Liturgically, most Passions were intended to be performed as part of church services in the Holy Week.
Passion settings developed from Medieval intoned readings of the Gospe ...
s the backbone of the structure is the narration of the Gospel, in this case chapters 26 and 27 of 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 ...
in the German translation of 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 ...
.
Gospel text
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 tenor voice, sings the Gospel text in a declamatory style called secco 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 repeat ...
, that is, with only a continuo accompaniment. Direct speech sections of the Gospel text are brought by other singers in the same "secco" format (e.g. a soprano voice sings the words spoken by Pontius Pilate's wife
Pontius Pilate's wife is the unnamed spouse of Pontius Pilate, who appears only once in the Gospel of Matthew, where she intercedes with Pilate on Jesus' behalf. It is uncertain whether Pilate was actually married, although it is likely. In later ...
), except for:
* Vox Christi
Vox (Latin for 'voice') may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Fictional characters
* Vox (DC Universe character), Mal Duncan
* Vox, several characters in the anime series '' Lagrange: The Flower of Rin-ne''
* Gleeman Vox, from the ''Ratche ...
: the words spoken by Christ
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 of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...
are sung by a bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gui ...
as an accompagnato
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 repeat ...
recitative, that is: accompanied by strings, and in a more ''arioso'' style than the secco recitatives.
* Turba
Turba is a word used in Latin and Arabic languages. Its Latin meaning is uproar or crowd.
Turba is a word means high carbon containing soil which is a precursor of coal anthracite and even rare gems Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve
Latin ...
choruses: words spoken by a group of people (e.g. Jesus' disciples) are sung by the choir, usually accompanied by the complete orchestra.
Apart from the Evangelist and the Vox Christi the dramatis personae
Dramatis personae (Latin: 'persons of the drama') are the main characters in a dramatic work written in a list. Such lists are commonly employed in various forms of theatre, and also on screen. Typically, off-stage characters are not considered ...
of these Gospel sections of the ''St Matthew Passion'' consists of:
* Judas
Judas Iscariot (; grc-x-biblical, Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης; syc, ܝܗܘܕܐ ܣܟܪܝܘܛܐ; died AD) was a disciple and one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. According to all four canonical gospels, Judas betraye ...
(B), Peter
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a sur ...
(B), two witnesses (A T), two high priests (B), two maids (S), 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 ...
(B) and his wife (S)
* A small group is represented by Chorus I or Chorus II separately (Chorus I always for the disciples); High priests and larger groups of people are sung by Chorus I and II together.
Interpolated text
In between the sections or scenes of the Gospel text, other texts are sung as a meditation or underlining the action, in a variety of formats:
* soloists sing arias, in most cases preceded by an accompagnato recitative, and occasionally in a dialogue with the choir. These sections are based nearly exclusively on texts by Picander
Christian Friedrich Henrici (January 14, 1700 – May 10, 1764), writing under the pen name Picander, was a German poet and librettist for many of the cantatas which Johann Sebastian Bach composed in Leipzig.
Henrici was born in Stolpen. He studi ...
. The arias are in da capo format (ternary form
Ternary form, sometimes called song form, is a three-part musical form consisting of an opening section (A), a following section (B) and then a repetition of the first section (A). It is usually schematized as A–B–A. Prominent examples includ ...
). "Erbarme dich", for alto, and "Mache dich, mein Herze, rein", for bass, are examples of such arias in Part Two of the oratorio. In these movements the singers are accompanied by one or a few solo instruments and continuo, occasionally completed by other instrument groups of the orchestra.
* Choral movements come in two additional formats (apart from the turba and dialogue with soloist roles already mentioned above):
** Cornerstone choral movements, or chorale fantasias: these are the extended movements, typically used to open or close both parts of the oratorio. In the St Matthew Passion there are three such extended choral movements: the opening chorus ("Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen", text by Picander and Nicolaus Decius
Nikolaus Decius (also ''Degius'', ''Deeg'', ''Tech a Curia'', and ''Nickel von Hof''; c. 1485 – 21 March 1541 (others say 1546) was a German monk, hymn-writer, Protestant reformer and composer.
He was probably born in Hof, Bavaria, Hof in Upper ...
), the conclusion of Part One ("O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß
"" (O man, bewail thy sin so great) is a Lutheran Passion hymn with a text written by Sebald Heyden in 1530. The author reflects the Passion of Jesus, based on the Four Evangelists, originally in 23 stanzas. The lyrics were written for an older m ...
", text by Sebald Heyden
Sebald Heyden (8 December 1499 – 9 July 1561) was a German musicologist, cantor, theologian, hymn-writer and religious poet. He is perhaps best known for his '' De arte canendi'' ("On the Art of Singing", third installment published 1540) whic ...
) and the final chorus ("Wir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder", text by Picander)
** Chorale harmonization
A Lutheran chorale is a musical setting of a Lutheran hymn, intended to be sung by a congregation in a German Protestant Church service. The typical four-part setting of a chorale, in which the sopranos (and the congregation) sing the melody a ...
movements: using traditional chorale texts and their melodies. The text is sung in homophony
In music, homophony (;, Greek: ὁμόφωνος, ''homóphōnos'', from ὁμός, ''homós'', "same" and φωνή, ''phōnē'', "sound, tone") is a texture in which a primary part is supported by one or more additional strands that flesh ou ...
by a four-part chorus with colla parte
A variety of musical terms are likely to be encountered in printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions. Sometimes, the special mus ...
accompaniment by the orchestra. "O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden
O, or o, is the fifteenth Letter (alphabet), letter and the fourth vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in ...
", on a text 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 ...
, is the one that returns most often throughout the Passion, in different harmonizations.
Overview
In the scheme below indentation indicates the type of movement:
, → Cornerstone choral movements
::, → Gospel parts (including Vox Christi and Turba sections) – Evangelist sings in each of these Gospel sections
::::, → Chorale harmonizations
::::::, → (Non-Gospel) Recitatives and Arias (with or without dialogue with the chorus)
Part One
1. – (Chorus I & II – Cantus firmus by ripieno soprano choir)
:: 2. Mt 26:1–2, with Vox Christi
:::: 3.
::4. Mt 26:3–13, with Vox Christi, and Turba on (Chorus I & II) and on (Chorus I)
::::::5–6. Recitative and Aria (alto)
::7. Mt 26:14–16, with Judas (bass)
::::::8. Aria (soprano)
::9. Mt 26:17–22, with Vox Christi, and Turba on (Chorus I) and on (Chorus I)
::::10. "" by Paul Gerhardt, stanza 5:
::11. Mt 26:23–29, with Vox Christi and Judas (bass)
::::::12–13. Recitative and Aria (soprano)
::14. Mt 26:30–32, with Vox Christi
::::15. "" by Paul Gerhardt, stanza 5:
::16. Mt 26:33–35, with Vox Christi and Peter (bass)
::::17. "" by Paul Gerhardt, stanza 6: 727/1729 version without music and text ""::18. Mt 26:36–38, with Vox Christi
::::::19–20. Recitative – "" by Johann Heermann, stanza 3: and Aria – (tenor – Chorus II)
::21. Mt 26:39
::::::22–23. Recitative and Aria (bass)
::24. Mt 26:40–42, with Vox Christi
::::25. "" by Albert, Duke in Prussia
Albert of Prussia (german: Albrecht von Preussen; 17 May 149020 March 1568) was a German prince who was the 37th Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, who after converting to Lutheranism, became the first ruler of the Duchy of Prussia, the secu ...
, stanza 1:
::26. Mt 26:43–50, with Vox Christi and Judas (bass)
::::::27. Aria – (soprano, alto – Chorus II) and (Chorus I & II)
::28. Mt 26:51–56, with Vox Christi
29. (Chorale fatasie, text by Sebald Heyden) 727/1729 version: ""; 1742 and 1743–1746 versions: ripieno soprano choir added to soprano line
Part Two
::::::30. Aria – (alto ass in the 1727/1729 version– Chorus II)
::31. Mt 26:57–60a
::::32. "" by Adam Reusner Adam Reusner, also Reissner or Reißner (c. 1496-1575 (some claim 1572 or 1582)) in Mindelheim) was a German mystic, hymn-writer and poet.
Biography
Reusner studied at Heidelberg University in 1518 and was a pupil of Johannes Reuchlin, studying He ...
, stanza 5:
::33. Mt 26:60b–63a, with Witnesses (alt, tenor) and High Priest (bass)
::::::34–35. Recitative and Aria (tenor)
::36. Mt 26:63b–68, with Vox Christi, High Priest (bass), and Turba on (Chorus I & II), and on (Chorus I & II)
::::37. "" by Paul Gerhardt, stanza 3:
::38. Mt 26:69–75, with Maid I and II (sopranos), Peter (bass) and Turba on (Chorus II)
::::::39. Aria (alto)
::::40. "" by Johann Rist
Johann Rist (8 March 1607 – 31 August 1667) was a German poet and dramatist best known for his hymns, which inspired musical settings and have remained in hymnals.
Life
Rist was born at Ottensen in Holstein-Pinneberg (today Hamburg) on 8 Marc ...
, stanza 6:
::41. Mt 27:1–6, with Judas (bass), High Priest I and II (basses) and Turba on (Chorus I & II)
::::::42. Aria (bass)
::43. Mt 27:7–14, with Vox Christi and Pilate (bass)
::::44. "" by Paul Gerhardt, stanza 1: ''Befiehl du deine Wege
"Befiehl du deine Wege" is a Lutheran hymn by Paul Gerhardt. It is one of his best known hymns, and was first published in 1653 in Johann Crüger's collection of hymns and popular religious songs ''Praxis pietatis melica''.
Melody and use
The h ...
''
::45. Mt 27:15–22, with Pilate (bass), Pilate's wife (soprano), and Turba on (Chorus I & II), and on (Chorus I & II)
::::46. "" by Johann Heermann, stanza 4:
::47. Mt 27:23a, with Pilate (bass)
::::::48–49. Recitative and Aria (soprano)
::50. Mt 27:23b–26, with Pilate (bass), and Turba on (Chorus I & II), and on (Chorus I & II)
::::::51–52. Recitative and Aria (alto)
::53. Mt 27:27–30, with Turba on (Chorus I & II)
::::54. "" by Paul Gerhardt, stanza 1 and 2:
::55. Mt 27:31–32
::::::56–57. Recitative and Aria (bass)
::58. Mt 27:33–44, with Turba on (Chorus I & II), and on (Chorus I & II)
::::::59–60. Recitative and Aria – (alto – Chorus II)
::61. Mt 27:45–50, with Vox Christi, and Turba on (Chorus I), and on (Chorus II)
::::62. "" by Paul Gerhardt, stanza 9:
::63. Mt 27:51–59, with Turba on (Chorus I & II)
::::::64–65. Recitative and Aria (bass)
::66. Mt 27:59–66, with Pilate (bass), and Turba on (Chorus I & II)
::::::67. Recitative – (bass, tenor, alto, soprano – Chorus II)
68. (Chorus I & II)
Movements
The work is divided into two parts to be performed before and after the sermon of the Good Friday service.
Part One
The first scenes are in Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
: Jesus announces his death (No. 2), on the other hand the intention to get rid of him is expressed (No. 4). A scene in Bethany
Bethany ( grc-gre, Βηθανία,Murphy-O'Connor, 2008, p152/ref> Syriac: ܒܝܬ ܥܢܝܐ ''Bēṯ ʿAnyā'') or what is locally known as Al-Eizariya or al-Azariya ( ar, العيزرية, " laceof Lazarus"), is a Palestinian town in the West B ...
(No. 4c) shows a woman anointing his head with valuable oils. The next scene (No. 7) has Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot (; grc-x-biblical, Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης; syc, ܝܗܘܕܐ ܣܟܪܝܘܛܐ; died AD) was a disciple and one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. According to all four canonical gospels, Judas betraye ...
negotiating the price for handing Jesus over. In a great contrast of mood the preparation for the "Easter meal" (Osterlamm) is described (No. 9) and the Passover meal itself, the Last Supper
Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art have been undertaken by artistic masters for centuries, ...
, foreshadowed by the announcement of betrayal. After the meal they go together to the Mount of Olives
The Mount of Olives or Mount Olivet ( he, הַר הַזֵּיתִים, Har ha-Zeitim; ar, جبل الزيتون, Jabal az-Zaytūn; both lit. 'Mount of Olives'; in Arabic also , , 'the Mountain') is a mountain ridge east of and adjacent to Jeru ...
(No. 14) where Jesus predicts that Peter
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a sur ...
will deny him three times before the cock crows. At the garden of Gethsemane
Gethsemane () is a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem where, according to the four Gospels of the New Testament, Jesus underwent the agony in the garden and was arrested before his crucifixion. It is a place of great resona ...
(No. 18) Jesus asks his followers several times to support him but they fall asleep while he is praying in agony. It is there (No. 26) that he is betrayed by Judas' kiss and arrested. While soprano and alto mourn (in duet, No. 27a) Jesus's arrest, the chorus makes angry interjections of "" (Leave him, stop, do not bind him!). In a dramatic highpoint of the Passion, the chorus (No. 27b) furiously demands against the Jews who arrested Jesus "" (Wreck, ruin, engulf, shatter with sudden force the false betrayer, the murderous blood!).
1.
Part One is opened by the chorus "" (Come ye daughters, join my lament), on a text by Picander. After 16 measures of instrumental introduction in time, driven by an ostinato rhythm in the basses, Chorus I intones , until in measure 26 they sing (Hark!) and Chorus II promptly asks (Whom?), Chorus I replying with (the bridegroom – implying Christ). The next call by Chorus I is (See him!), followed by the question (How?) by Chorus II, to which Chorus I answers (just like a lamb – another reference to Christ).
The dialogue with these questions is repeated, and then, from measure 30, Chorus I sings the text of the incipit again while in ripieno sopranos sing the first two lines of Nikolaus Decius
Nikolaus Decius (also ''Degius'', ''Deeg'', ''Tech a Curia'', and ''Nickel von Hof''; c. 1485 – 21 March 1541 (others say 1546) was a German monk, hymn-writer, Protestant reformer and composer.
He was probably born in Hof in Upper Franconia, B ...
' chorale "" (O Lamb of God
Lamb of God ( el, Ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, Amnòs toû Theoû; la, Agnus Dei, ) is a title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. It appears at John 1:29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God wh ...
, innocent) as 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 ...
. All sentences of the first stanza of Decius' hymn are used as cantus firmus throughout the movement by the ripienists.
The opening chorus continues by taking up the questions and answers by Chorus I and II again, now adding: (See it! — What? – See the endurance) and ultimately (Look! — Where? — to our guilt), after which Chorus I and II sing the last lines of Picander's text in separate blocks. When the cantus firmus has died out, Chorus I and II return to the first three lines of the text, from measure 82 until the conclusion of the chorus in measure 90.
![BWV 244 Nr](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/BWV_244_Nr._1_Kommt%2C_ihr_T%C3%B6chter.svg)
2. Mt 26:1–2
:2. Evangelist, Jesus:
places the first scene two days before the Passover
Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday that celebrates the The Exodus, Biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Ancient Egypt, Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew calendar, He ...
feast. After a few words of introduction by the Evangelist, the first words of Christ, set as an accompagnato recitative with slow strings, contain an ominous prediction of his imminent fate.
3.
Chorale: first stanza of Johann Heermann's "". The first two lines of the hymn are a rhetorical question: "My dearest Jesus, which crimes have you committed, that such dire judgement has been passed?"
4. Mt 26:3–13
:4a. Evangelist:
:4b. Chorus I & II:
:4c. Evangelist:
:4d. Chorus I:
:4e. Evangelist, Jesus:
5–6. –
Recitative and Aria for alto.
7. Mt 26:14–16
:7. Evangelist, Judas:
8.
Aria (soprano)
9. Mt 26:17–22
:9a. Evangelist:
:9b. Chorus I:
:9c. Evangelist, Jesus:
:9d. Evangelist:
:9e. Chorus I:
The narration follows Jesus' instructions for securing the upper room for Passover, and the beginning of the Last Supper. Upon Jesus' declaration that one of the twelve will betray him in 9d, they ask him "Lord, is it I?" The word ''Herr'' appears 11 times, once for each disciple except Judas Iscariot.
10.
Chorale
11. Mt 26:23–29
:11. Evangelist, Jesus, Judas:
12–13. –
Recitative and Aria (soprano)
14. Mt 26:30–32
:14. Evangelist, Jesus:
15.
Chorale
16. Mt 26:33–35
:16. Evangelist, Peter, Jesus:
17.
Chorale
In the 1727/1729 version without music and text ""
18. Mt 26:36–38
:18. Evangelist, Jesus:
19–20. –
Recitative (with Chorus II: ) and Aria (with Chorus II: ) for tenor
21. Mt 26:39
:21. Evangelist:
22–23. –
Recitative and Aria (bass)
24. Mt 26:40–42
:24. Evangelist, Jesus:
25.
Chorale
26. Mt 26:43–50
:26. Evangelist, Jesus, Judas:
27. –
Aria for soprano and alto (with Chorus II: ) and Chorus (I & II)
28. Mt 26:51–56
:28. Evangelist, Jesus:
29.
Part I is closed by a four-part Chorale Fantasia (both choirs) on the chorale (O mankind, mourn your great sins), recapitulating that Jesus was born of the Virgin to "become the intercessor". The sopranos sing the cantus firmus, the other voices interpret aspects of the narration. In the 1742 and 1743–1746 versions, a ripieno soprano choir was added to the soprano line.
In the 1727/1729 version, this part is concluded by a four-part setting of verse 6 of the Chorale "".
Part Two
The first scene of Part Two is an interrogation at the High Priest Caiaphas
Joseph ben Caiaphas (; c. 14 BC – c. 46 AD), known simply as Caiaphas (; grc-x-koine, Καϊάφας, Kaïáphas ) in the New Testament, was the Jewish high priest who, according to the gospels, organized a plot to kill Jesus. He famously p ...
(No. 37) where two witnesses report Jesus having spoken about destroying the Temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
and building it again in three days. Jesus is silent to this, but his answer to the question if he is the Son of God is considered a sacrilege
Sacrilege is the violation or injurious treatment of a sacred object, site or person. This can take the form of irreverence to sacred persons, places, and things. When the sacrilegious offence is verbal, it is called blasphemy, and when physical ...
calling for his death. Outside in the courtyard (No. 38) Peter is told three times that he belongs to Jesus and denies it three times – then the cock crows. In the morning (No. 41) Jesus is sent to 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 ...
while Judas is overcome by remorse and kills himself. Pilate interrogates Jesus (No. 43), is impressed and is inclined to release him, as it was customary to release one prisoner for the holiday, supported in this by his wife. But the crowd, given the choice to have Jesus released or Barabbas
Barabbas (; ) was, according to the New Testament, a prisoner who was chosen over Jesus by the crowd in Jerusalem to be pardoned and released by Roman governor Pontius Pilate at the Passover feast.
Biblical account
According to all four canoni ...
, a thief, insurrectionist and murderer, asks with one voice "Barrabam!". They vote to crucify Jesus, Pilate gives in, washing his hands claiming his innocence, and delivers Jesus to torture and crucifixion. On the way to the crucifixion site (No. 55) Simon of Cyrene
Simon of Cyrene (, Standard Hebrew ''Šimʿon'', Tiberian Hebrew ''Šimʿôn''; , ''Simōn Kyrēnaios''; ) was the man compelled by the Romans to carry the cross of Jesus of Nazareth as Jesus was taken to his crucifixion, according to all three ...
is forced to carry the cross. 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 ...
(No. 58) Jesus and two others are crucified and mocked by the crowd. Even his last words are misunderstood. Where he cites Psalm 22, "Eli, Eli, lama asabthani?" (My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?), he is supposed to have called Elijah
Elijah ( ; he, אֵלִיָּהוּ, ʾĒlīyyāhū, meaning "My God is Yahweh/YHWH"; Greek form: Elias, ''Elías''; syr, ܐܸܠܝܼܵܐ, ''Elyāe''; Arabic: إلياس or إليا, ''Ilyās'' or ''Ilyā''. ) was, according to the Books of ...
. He dies. St. Matthew describes the tearing of the Temple curtain and an earthquake – set to music by Bach. In the evening (No. 63c) Joseph of Arimathea
Joseph of Arimathea was, according to all four canonical gospels, the man who assumed responsibility for the burial of Jesus after his crucifixion. The historical location of Arimathea is uncertain, although it has been identified with several t ...
asks Pilate for the corpse for burial. The following day (No. 66) officials remind Pilate of the talk of resurrection and ask for guards and a seal for the grave to prevent fraud.
30.
Part Two is opened by a dialog between the alto soloist deploring her lost Jesus and choir II offering help in searching for him, quoting Song of Songs 6:1 (). In the 1727/1729 version, the soloist is a bass.
31. Mt 26:57–60a
:31. Evangelist:
32.
Chorale
33. Mt 26:60b–63a
:33. Evangelist, Witnesses, High Priest:
34–35. –
Recitative and Aria (tenor)
36. Mt 26:63b–68
:36a. Evangelist, High Priest, Jesus:
:36b. Chorus I & II:
:36c. Evangelist:
:36d. Chorus I & II:
37.
Chorale
38. Mt 26:69–75
:38a. Evangelist, Maid, Peter, Maid II:
:38b. Chorus II:
:38c. Evangelist, Peter:
39.
Aria (alto)
40.
Chorale
41. Mt 27:1–6
:41a. Evangelist, Judas:
:41b. Chorus I & II:
:41c. Evangelist, High Priests:
42.
Aria (bass)
43. Mt 27:7–14
:43. Evangelist, Pilate, Jesus:
44.
Chorale
45. Mt 27:15–22
:45a. Evangelist, Pilate, Pilate's wife:
:Chorus I & II:
:45b. Chorus I & II:
46.
Chorale
47. Mt 27:23a
:47. Evangelist, Pilate:
48–49. –
Recitative and Aria (soprano)
50. Mt 27:23b–26
:50a. Evangelist:
:50b. Chorus I & II:
:50c. Evangelist, Pilate:
:50d. Chorus I & II:
:50e. Evangelist:
51–52. –
Recitative and Aria (alto)
53. Mt 27:27–30
:53a. Evangelist:
:53b. Chorus I & II:
:53c. Evangelist:
54.
Chorale
55. Mt 27:31–32
:55. Evangelist:
56–57. –
Recitative and Aria (bass) Lute instead of Viola da gamba in 1727/1729 version.
58. Mt 27:33–44
:58a. Evangelist:
:58b. Chorus I & II:
:58c. Evangelist:
:58d. Chorus I & II:
:58e. Evangelist:
59–60. –
Recitative and Aria for alto (from Chorus I), with a dialogue with Chorus II ("") in the Aria
61. Mt 27:45–50
:61a. Evangelist, Jesus:
:61b. Chorus I:
:61c. Evangelist:
:61d. Chorus II:
:61e. Evangelist:
62.
Chorale
This is by far the most unusually chromatic setting of this chorale tune () found in the ''Passion'', occurring at the high point of intensity at the death of Jesus. This also marks the completion of Bach's gradual emptying out of the key signature in subsequent settings of this tune: No. 15 has four sharps (E major), No. 17 has three flats (E-flat major), No. 44 has two sharps (D major), No. 54 has one flat (D minor), and No. 62 has no accidentals (A minor).
63. Mt 27:51–59
:63a. Evangelist:
:63b. Chorus I & II:
:63c. Evangelist:
64–65. –
Recitative and Aria (bass)
66. Mt 27:59–66
:66a. Evangelist:
:66b. Chorus I & II:
:66c. Evangelist, Pilate:
67.
Recitative for bass, tenor, alto and soprano, with Chorus II singing .
68.
The work is closed by a grand scale chorus in da capo
Da capo (, also , ) is an Italian musical term that means "from the beginning" (literally, "from the head"). It is often abbreviated as D.C. The term is a directive to repeat the previous part of music, often used to save space, and thus is an ...
form, choir I and II mostly in unison for the first part (We sit down in tears), but in dialog in the middle section, choir II repeating "" ("Rest gently, gently rest!"), choir I reflecting: "Your grave and headstone shall, for the anxious conscience, be a comfortable pillow and the resting place for the soul. Highly contented, there the eyes fall asleep." These are the last words (before the recapitulation), marked by Bach himself: ''p pp ppp'' (soft, very soft, extremely soft).
Reception
The ''St Matthew Passion'' was not heard in more or less its entirety outside Leipzig until 1829, when the twenty-year-old Felix Mendelssohn
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sy ...
performed a version in Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
, with the Berlin Singakademie, to great acclaim. Mendelssohn's revival brought the music of Bach, particularly the large-scale works, to public and scholarly attention (although the ''St John Passion
The ''Passio secundum Joannem'' or ''St John Passion'' (german: Johannes-Passion, link=no), BWV 245, is a Passion or oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach, the older of the surviving Passions by Bach. It was written during his first year as direc ...
'' had been rehearsed by the Singakademie in 1822).
Sterndale Bennett 1845 edition of the Passion was to be the first of many (as Adolph Bernhard Marx
Friedrich Heinrich Adolf Bernhard Marx . B. Marx(15 May 1795, Halle – 17 May 1866, Berlin) was a German music theorist, critic, and musicologist.
Life
Marx was the son of a Jewish doctor in Halle who, though a member of the congregation, was ...
and Adolf Martin Schlesinger
Adolf Martin Schlesinger (4 October 1769 – 11 October 1838) was a German music publisher whose firm became one of the most influential in Berlin in the early nineteenth century.
Career
Schlesinger was Jewish, and was born Aaron Moses Schlesing ...
's one in 1830), the latest being by Neil Jenkins (1997) and Nicholas Fisher and John Russell (2008). Appreciation, performance and study of Bach's composition have persisted into the present era.
Second half of the 18th century
The Passion was performed under the Cantor of St. Thomas until about 1800. Specifically, in 1780, the Cantor, Doles, had three of Bach's Passions performed, assumed to include the St. John and St. Matthew, and "possibly the St. Luke".
19th century
In 1824, Felix Mendelssohn
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sy ...
's maternal grandmother Bella Salomon had given him a copy of the score of the Passion. Carl Friedrich Zelter
Carl Friedrich Zelter (11 December 1758 15 May 1832)Grove/Fuller-Datei:Carl-Friedrich-Zelter.jpegMaitland, 1910. The Zelter entry takes up parts of pages 593-595 of Volume V. was a German composer, conductor and teacher of music. Working in his ...
had been head of the Sing-Akademie since 1800. He had been hired to teach music theory to both Felix Mendelssohn and his sister Fanny. Zelter had a supply of J. S. Bach scores and was an admirer of Bach's music but he was reluctant to undertake public performances.
When Felix Mendelssohn was preparing his revival performance of the Passion in 1829 in Berlin (the first performance outside Leipzig), he cut out "ten arias (about a third of them), seven choruses (about half), utonly a few of the chorales," which "emphasized the drama of the Passion story ... at the expense of the reflective and Italianate solo singing."
In 1827, Felix and a few friends began weekly sessions to rehearse the Passion. One of the group was Eduard Devrient
(Philipp) Eduard Devrient (11 August 18014 October 1877) was a German baritone, librettist, playwright, actor, theatre director, and theatre reformer and historian.
Devrient came from a theatrical family. His uncle was Ludwig Devrient and his b ...
, a baritone and since 1820 one of the principal singers at the Berlin Royal Opera. Around December 1828 – January 1829 Devrient persuaded Felix that the two of them should approach Zelter to get the Sing-Akademie to support their project. Devrient was especially enthusiastic, hoping to sing the part of Jesus as he eventually did. Zelter was reluctant but eventually gave his approval; that of the Singakademie board followed.
Once the fuller group of singers and the orchestra were brought in, Devrient recalled, participants were amazed at "the abundance of melodies, the rich expression of emotion, the passion, the singular style of declamation, and the force of the dramatic action." The 20-year-old Felix himself conducted the rehearsals and first two performances by the Singakademie.
Their first performance was effectively publicized in six consecutive issues of the ''Berliner Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung'', founded and edited by Adolf Bernhard Marx
Friedrich Heinrich Adolf Bernhard Marx . B. Marx(15 May 1795, Halle – 17 May 1866, Berlin) was a German music theorist, critic, and musicologist.
Life
Marx was the son of a Jewish doctor in Halle who, though a member of the congregation, was ...
. It took place on 11 March 1829 and was sold out quickly. There was a second performance on 21 March, also sold out. In a third, on 18 April, Zelter conducted, and soon there were performances in Frankfurt (where a previously projected performance of the Passion had been upstaged by those in Berlin) and in Breslau and Stettin.
William Sterndale Bennett
Sir William Sterndale Bennett (13 April 18161 February 1875) was an English composer, pianist, conductor and music educator. At the age of ten Bennett was admitted to the London Royal Academy of Music (RAM), where he remained for ten years. B ...
became a founder of the Bach Society of London in 1849 with the intention of introducing Bach's works to the English public. Helen Johnston (a student at Queen's College, London
Queen's College is an independent school for girls aged 11–18 with an adjoining prep school for girls aged 4–11 located in the City of Westminster, London. Founded in 1848 by theologian and social reformer Frederick Denison Maurice along wit ...
) translated the libretto of the Passion, and Bennett conducted the first English performance at the Hanover Square Rooms
The Hanover Square Rooms or the Queen's Concert Rooms were assembly rooms established, principally for musical performances, on the corner of Hanover Square, London, by Sir John Gallini in partnership with Johann Christian Bach and Carl Friedric ...
London on 6 April 1854 (the same year that it appeared in print by the Old Bach Society (Alte Bach-Gesellschaft). The soloists included Charlotte Helen Sainton-Dolby.
20th century
Excerpts of the work were performed on the American television program ''Omnibus'' on 31 March 1957 in the episode "The Music of J.S. Bach." The presenter and explicator was Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...
, who introduced the ''St Matthew Passion'' as "that glorious work that started me off on my own private passion for Bach."
The ''St Matthew Passion'' has been presented in staged performances. Typically, these are done with all performers in street clothes or neutral costumes, the orchestras on stage, at least the soloists singing without scores from memory, and the words acted out in a solemn, melodramatic fashion with only a minimal stage set. On the other hand, George Balanchine
George Balanchine (;
Various sources:
*
*
*
* born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze; ka, გიორგი მელიტონის ძე ბალანჩივაძე; January 22, 1904 (O. S. January 9) – April 30, 1983) was ...
staged it in 1943 with Stokowski Stokowski (feminine: Stokowska, plural: Stokowscy) is a Polish-language surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Anne K. Stokowski (1925–2020), American politician
* Eugene E. Stokowski (1921–1979), American politician
* Ferdynand ...
conducting. Other notable staged performances include Jonathan Miller
Sir Jonathan Wolfe Miller CBE (21 July 1934 – 27 November 2019) was an English theatre and opera director, actor, author, television presenter, humourist and physician. After training in medicine and specialising in neurology in the late 19 ...
's 1997 production in English.
The Hamburg Ballet
The Hamburg Ballet is a ballet company based in Hamburg, Germany. Since 1973, it has been directed by the American dancer and choreographer John Neumeier. In addition there is a ballet school, , established in 1978. The performances of the Hamb ...
presented a ''Saint Matthew Passion'', created and choreographed by John Neumeier
John Neumeier (born February 24, 1939) is an American ballet dancer, choreographer, and director. He has been the director and chief choreographer of Hamburg Ballet since 1973. Five years later he founded the Hamburg Ballet School, which also inc ...
, at the Hamburg State Opera
The Hamburg State Opera (in German: Staatsoper Hamburg) is a German opera company based in Hamburg. Its theatre is near the square of Gänsemarkt. Since 2015, the current ''Intendant'' of the company is Georges Delnon, and the current ''General ...
in 1981. The Hamburg Ballet production has been reproduced several times, including at the Brooklyn Academy of Music
The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a performing arts venue in Brooklyn, New York City, known as a center for progressive and avant-garde performance. It presented its first performance in 1861 and began operations in its present location in ...
in New York in 1983 and the Los Angeles Opera
The Los Angeles Opera is an American opera company in Los Angeles, California. It is the fourth-largest opera company in the United States. The company's home base is the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, part of the Los Angeles Music Center.
Leadersh ...
in 2022. The Los Angeles Opera presentation involved "42 dancers, six singers, two choruses, and two mighty-in-sound chamber orchestras."
21st century
Staged productions of the ''Passion'' include Lindy Hume
Lindy Hume (born 25 August 1961) is an Australian opera and festival director, who has worked throughout Australia and internationally.
Early life
Hume was born in the Sydney suburb of Paddington and grew up in Glebe and Annandale. Her fathe ...
's 2005 production for the Perth International Arts Festival
Perth Festival, named Perth International Arts Festival (PIAF) between 2000 and 2017, and sometimes referred to as the Festival of Perth, is Australia's longest-running cultural festival, held annually in Western Australia. The program features ...
, restaged in 2013 for Opera Queensland
Opera Queensland is an opera company based in Brisbane, Queensland. The company was founded with funding from the Queensland State Government in 1981 under the name ''Lyric Opera of Queensland'' after the Queensland Opera Company was closed in D ...
with , Sara Macliver
Sara Macliver is an Australian soprano singer, born and raised in Perth, Western Australia. Macliver is a versatile artist, appearing in operas, concert and recital performances and on numerous recordings. She is regarded as one of the leading ...
, Tobias Cole
Tobias Martin Piers Trevor Cole (born 7 August 1971) is an Australian countertenor and leading artist with Opera Australia.
Early life
Cole was born in Leiden, Netherlands while his father was working at the Leiden University as a radio astronom ...
; and Peter Sellars
Peter Sellars (born September 27, 1957) is an American theatre director, noted for his unique contemporary stagings of classical and contemporary operas and plays. Sellars is professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where ...
' 2010 production with the Berlin Philharmonic
The Berlin Philharmonic (german: Berliner Philharmoniker, links=no, italic=no) is a German orchestra based in Berlin. It is one of the most popular, acclaimed and well-respected orchestras in the world.
History
The Berlin Philharmonic was fo ...
under Simon Rattle
Sir Simon Denis Rattle (born 19 January 1955) is a British-German conductor. He rose to international prominence during the 1980s and 1990s, while music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (1980–1998). Rattle was principal ...
with Mark Padmore
Mark Padmore (born 8 March 1961) is a British tenor appearing in concerts, recitals, and opera.
He was born in London on 8 March 1961, and raised in Canterbury, Kent, England. Padmore studied clarinet and piano prior to his gaining a choral s ...
, Camilla Tilling
Camilla Tilling (born 1971) is a Swedish soprano in opera and concert.
Professional career
Born in Linköping, Camilla Tilling studied at the Högskolan för scen och musik in Göteborg (1997–98) and at the Royal College of Music in London, ...
, Magdalena Kožená
Magdalena Kožená (also Lady Rattle; ; born 26 May 1973) is a Czech mezzo-soprano.
Early life
Kožená was born in Brno in Czechoslovakia. Both her parents had come originally from Bohemia, to the west. She was born one of the two daughters of ...
, Topi Lehtipuu
Topi Lehtipuu (born 24 March 1971 in Brisbane, Australia) is a Finnish operatic tenor. He has sung a variety of roles from different periods, including the title role in Benjamin Britten's ''Albert Herring'' at the Finnish National Opera, several ...
, Christian Gerhaher
Christian Gerhaher (born 24 July 1969, in Straubing) is a German baritone and bass singer in opera and concert, particularly known as a Lieder singer.
Career
Christian Gerhaher studied with Paul Kuën and Raimund Grumbach at the Hochschule ...
and Thomas Quasthoff
Thomas Quasthoff (born 9 November 1959) is a German bass-baritone. Quasthoff has a range of musical interest from Bach cantatas, to lieder, and solo jazz improvisations. Born with severe birth defects caused by thalidomide, Quasthoff is , and has ...
.
Transcriptions
*The final chorus ''Wir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder'' was transcribed for solo organ by Charles-Marie Widor
Charles-Marie-Jean-Albert Widor (21 February 1844 – 12 March 1937) was a French organist, composer and teacher of the mid-Romantic era, most notable for his ten organ symphonies. His Toccata from the fifth organ symphony has become one of the ...
in 1925, as part of the set of 6 pieces named ''Bach's Memento''.
References
Sources
*
*
Bach-digital
''St. Matthew passion'' BWV 244
''Klagt, Kinder, klagt es aller Welt'' BWV 244a
''St Matthew Passion'' (early version) BWV 244b
* Second edition: 1734.
* Spitta, Philipp. "Fünftes Buch: Leipziger Jahre von 1723–1734" in ''Johann Sebastian Bach'', Zweiter Band. Breitkopf & Härtel
Breitkopf & Härtel is the world's oldest music publishing house. The firm was founded in 1719 in Leipzig by Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf.
The catalogue currently contains over 1,000 composers, 8,000 works and 15,000 music editions or books on ...
, 1880.
"Fünftes Buch: Leipziger Jahre von 1723–1734" pp. 3–479
in ''Johann Sebastian Bach'', Zweiter Band. Dritte unveränderte Auflage, Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1921.
"Book V: Leipzig, 1723–1734" pp. 181–648
in ''Johann Sebastian Bach: his work and influence on the music of Germany, 1685–1750'', translated by Clara Bell and John Alexander Fuller-Maitland, In Three Volumes, Vol. II. London, Novello & Co
Wise Music Group is a global music publisher, with headquarters in Berners Street, London. In February 2020, Wise Music Group changed its name from The Music Sales Group.
In 2014 Wise Music Group (as The Music Sales Group) acquired French cla ...
, 1884.
Further reading
*
* Franklin, Don O. "The Role of the 'Actus Structure' in the Libretto of J. S. Bach's St. Matthew Passion." In Daniel Zager, ed., ''Music and Theology: Essays in Honor of Robin A. Leaver''. Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press, 2007. 121–141.
* Platen, Emil. ''Die Matthäus-Passion von Johann Sebastian Bach''. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1991.
* Rifkin, Joshua. "The Chronology of Bach's Saint Matthew Passion". In ''The Musical Quarterly
''The Musical Quarterly'' is the oldest academic journal on music in America. Originally established in 1915 by Oscar Sonneck, the journal was edited by Sonneck until his death in 1928. Sonneck was succeeded by a number of editors, including Car ...
'', lxi (1975). 360–387
* Werker, W. ''Die Matthäus-Passion''. Leipzig, 1923.
External links
''St Matthew 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)
Autograph score in the Berlin State Library (Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin)
*
on the bach-cantatas website
by Joshua Rifkin
Joshua Rifkin (born April 22, 1944 in New York) is an American conductor, pianist, and musicologist; he is currently a professor of music at Boston University. As a performer he has recorded music by composers from Antoine Busnois to Silvestre ...
, on the bach-cantatas website
* "Liturgical drama in Bach's ''St. Matthew Passion''" by Uri Golomb. ''Goldberg Early Music Magazine'' 39 (April 2006), pp. 48–59. On th
Bach-Cantatas website
and o
Academia.Edu
Emmanuel music
''The St. Matthew Passion''
Minnesota Public Radio, text and translation, commentary, 2001
''St. Matthew Passion''
(Flash) Helmuth Rilling
{{authority control
Passions and oratorios by Johann Sebastian Bach
1727 compositions
Gospel of Matthew
Oratorios based on the Bible