| St Matthew Passion | |
|---|---|
BWV 244 | |
| Passion byJ. S. Bach | |
 Title page of Bach's autograph score | |
| Native name | Passio Domini Nostri J.C. Secundum Evangelistam Matthaeum |
| Related | BWV 244a |
| Occasion | Good Friday |
| Text |
|
| Performed | 11 April 1727 (1727-04-11):St. Thomas Church, Leipzig |
| Scoring |
|
TheSt Matthew Passion (German:Matthäuspassion),BWV 244, is aPassion, a sacredoratorio written byJohann Sebastian Bach in 1727 for solo voices, doublechoir and doubleorchestra, withlibretto byPicander. It sets the26th and27th chapters of theGospel of Matthew (in theLuther Bible) to music, with interspersedchorales andarias. It is widely regarded as one of the masterpieces ofBaroquesacred music. The original Latin titlePassio Domini nostri J.C. secundum Evangelistam Matthæum translates to "The Passion of our LordJesus Christ according to the Evangelist Matthew".[1]
TheSt Matthew Passion is the second of twoPassion settings by Bach that have survived in their entirety, the first being theSt John Passion, first performed in 1724.
Little is known with certainty about the creation process of theSt 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.
TheSt Matthew Passion was probably first performed on 11 April (Good Friday) 1727 in theSt. Thomas Church, and again on 15 April 1729, 30 March 1736, and 23 March 1742. Bach then revised it again between 1743 and 1746.
InLeipzig it was not allowed to paraphrase the words of the Gospel in a Passion presentation onGood Friday.[2] A setting of the then-popularBrockes Passion libretto, largely consisting of such paraphrasing, could not be done without replacing the paraphrases by actual Gospel text.[2] That was the option chosen by Bach for his 1724St John Passion. In 1725 Christian Friedrich Henrici, a Leipzig poet who usedPicander as his pen name, had publishedErbauliche Gedanken auf den Grünen Donnerstag und Charfreytag ("Edifying Thoughts onMaundy Thursday 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 theGospel of St Matthew.
Since 1975, it has usually been assumed that Bach'sSt Matthew Passion was first performed on Good Friday 11 April 1727,[3] although its first performance may have been as late as Good Friday 1729, as older sources assert.[4] The performance took place in theSt. Thomas Church (Thomaskirche) in Leipzig. Bach had beenThomaskantor (i.e.,Cantor, 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 asoprano inripieno voice, a soprano solo, analto solo, a tenor solo,SATB chorus, twotraversos, twooboes, twooboes d'amore, twooboes da caccia,lute, strings (twoviolin sections,violas andcellos), andcontinuo (at least organ). Choir II consists of SATB voices, violin I, violin II, viola,viola da gamba, cello, two traversos, two oboes (d'amore) and possibly continuo.[5]
Klagt, Kinder, klagt es aller Welt, BWV 244a, a cantata of which only the text is extant, was performed 24 March 1729 inKöthen at a memorial service held some months after the death ofLeopold, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen. The music of the cantata consisted largely of music adapted from theSt Matthew Passion.[6]
At the time only men sang in church: high pitch vocal parts were usually performed bytreble 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 thePeterskirche. The request was only partially granted by the Town Council,[7] 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 theSt Matthew Passion, that were written for double choir.[1][8]
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. TheSt 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.[9]
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 theSt 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.[10]
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.[10]
Bach did not number the sections of theSt Matthew Passion, all of them vocalmovements, but twentieth-century scholars have done so. The two main schemes in use today are the scheme from theNeue Bach-Ausgabe (NBA, New Bach Edition) which uses a1 through68 numbering system, and the olderBach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV, Bach Works Catalog) scheme which divides the work into 78 numbers. Both use lettered subsections in some cases.[11][12] This article is written using the NBA numbering system.
Bach worked together with his librettist, Christian Friedrich Henrici, known asPicander[4] who published the text of the libretto of theSt Matthew Passion in 1729.[13]
The Bible text used for Part One isMatthew 26:1–56. Part Two usesMatthew 26:57–75 andMatthew 27:1–66.
Additionally,Song of Songs 6:1 is used in the opening aria (with chorus) of Part Two (No. 30).
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 bySalomo Franck andBarthold Heinrich Brockes.[14]
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 theSt Matthew Passion dates from 1525. Three chorales are written byPaul Gerhardt and Bach included five stanzas from hisO Haupt voll Blut und Wunden. Bach used the hymns in different ways, most are four-part setting, two as thecantus firmus of the two chorale fantasias framing Part I, one as a commenting element in a tenor recitative.
| Author | Date | Hymn; Stanza | Stanza incipit | No. | Set as... | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikolaus Decius | 1541 | O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig | 1 | O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig | 1 | cantus firmus[a] in choral movement |
| Johann Heermann | 1630 | Herzliebster Jesu | 1 | Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du verbrochen | 3 | four-part chorale |
| Paul Gerhardt | 1647 | O Welt, sieh hier dein Leben | 5 | Ich bin's, ich sollte büßen | 10 | four-part chorale |
| Paul Gerhardt | 1656 | O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden | 5 | Erkenne mich, mein Hüter | 15 | four-part chorale |
| Paul Gerhardt | 1656 | O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden | 7 | Es dient zu meinen Freuden | 17[b] | four-part chorale |
| Paul Gerhardt | 1656 | O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden | 6 | Ich will hier bei dir stehen | 17[c] | four-part chorale |
| Johann Heermann | 1630 | Herzliebster Jesu | 3 | Was ist doch wohl die Ursach | 19 | coro II in tenor recitative |
| Albert, Duke of Prussia | 1547 | Was mein Gott will, das g'scheh allzeit | 1 | Was mein Gott will, das g'scheh allzeit | 25 | four-part chorale |
| Christian Keymann | 1658 | Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht | 6 | Jesum laß' ich nicht von mir | 29[b] | four-part chorale |
| Sebald Heyden | 1525 | O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß | 1 | O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß | 29[c] | cantus firmus in choral movement |
| Adam Reusner | 1533 | In dich hab ich gehoffet, Herr | 5 | Mir hat die Welt trüglich gericht' | 32 | four-part chorale |
| Paul Gerhardt | 1647 | O Welt, sieh hier dein Leben | 3 | Wer hat dich so geschlagen | 37 | four-part chorale |
| Johann Rist | 1642 | Werde munter, mein Gemüte | 6 | Bin ich gleich von dir gewichen | 40 | four-part chorale |
| Paul Gerhardt | 1656 | Befiehl du deine Wege | 1 | Befiehl du deine Wege | 44 | four-part chorale |
| Johann Heermann | 1630 | Herzliebster Jesu | 4 | Wie wunderbarlich ist doch diese Strafe! | 46 | four-part chorale |
| Paul Gerhardt | 1656 | O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden | 1 | O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden | 54 | four-part chorale |
| Paul Gerhardt | 1656 | O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden | 2 | Du edles Angesichte | 54, cont.[c] | four-part chorale |
| Paul Gerhardt | 1656 | O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden | 9 | Wenn ich einmal soll scheiden | 62 | four-part chorale |
| Notes | ||||||
In the early version BWV 244b the choraleNo. 17 appears to be missing, and movementNo. 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".[5]
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Many composers wrotemusical settings of thePassion in the late 17th century. Like other Baroqueoratorio passions, Bach's setting presents theBiblical text ofMatthew 26–27 in a relatively simple way, primarily usingrecitative, whilearia andarioso 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.
TheSt Matthew Passion is set for two choirs and two orchestras. Both include twotransverse flutes (Choir 1 also includes 2 recorders for No. 19), two oboes, in certain movements insteadoboe d'amore oroboe da caccia, two violins, viola,viola da gamba, andbasso continuo. 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, "Aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben", where the absence of strings and basso continuo mark a desperate loss of security.
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-choirmotets and those of many other composers with which he routinely started Sunday services. The other is the extensive use ofchorales, which appear in standard four-part settings, as interpolations in arias, and as acantus firmus in largepolyphonic movements. This is notable in "O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß", the conclusion of the first half – a movement which Bach also used as an opening chorus for the second version (1725) of hisSt John Passion (later – ca. 1730 – he reverted to the originally composed "Herr, unser Herrscher" there).[15] The opening chorus, "Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen" is also notable for the use of chorale cantus firmus, in which thesoprano in ripieno crowns a colossal buildup of polyphonic andharmonic tension, singing a verse of "O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig". This was sung only in 1742 and 1743–1746 and had been played on the organ before.
The narration of the Gospel texts is sung by thetenorEvangelist inseccorecitative accompanied only bycontinuo. Soloists sing the words of various characters, also in recitative; in addition toJesus, there are named parts forJudas,Peter, two high priests (Pontifex I & II),Pontius Pilate, Pilate's wife (Uxor Pilati), two witnesses (Testis I & II) and twoancillae (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, calledturba (crowd) parts, are sung by one of the two choirs or both.
The words of Jesus, also termedVox Christi (voice of Christ), usually receive special treatment. Bach created particularly distinctiveaccompagnato 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 hisfinal words, inAramaic,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.[citation needed] In all prior versions (1727/1729, 1736, and 1742), the continuo part was sustained in all recitatives.[citation needed]
The arias, set to texts byPicander, 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, "Ich bin's, ich sollte büßen" ("It is I who should suffer"), after eleven disciples asked "Herr, bin ich's?" (Lord, is it I?) – meaning: Am I the one going to betray? The alto aria No. 6, "Buß und Reu", 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.[1]
As is typical of settings of the Passion (and originating in its liturgical use onPalm Sunday), there is no mention of theResurrection in any of these texts (apart from indirect allusions at Matthew 26:32 and 27:53 and 63). Following the concept ofAnselm of Canterbury, thecrucifixion is the endpoint and the source ofredemption; 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 "O Lamm Gottes" chorale compares Jesus' crucifixion to the ritual sacrifice of anOld Testament lamb, as an offering for sin. This theme is reinforced by the concluding chorale of the first part,O Mensch, bewein dein' Sünde groß (O man, bewail your great sin).
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 chords and suddenmodulations accompany Jesus'sapocalyptic prophecies.
In the turba parts, the two choruses sometimes alternate incori spezzati style (e.g. "Weissage uns, Christe") and sometimes sing together ("Herr, wir haben gedacht"). Other times only one chorus sings (chorus I always takes the parts of thedisciples) 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 instruments are equal partners with the voices, as was customary in late Baroque arias. Bach often usesmadrigalisms, as in "Buß und Reu", where the flutes start playing a raindrop-likestaccato as the alto sings of drops of his tears falling. In "Blute nur", 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.[16]
As in otherPassion oratorios the backbone of the structure is the narration of the Gospel, in this case chapters26 and27 of theGospel of Matthew in theLuther Bible.
TheEvangelist, a tenor voice, sings the Gospel text in a declamatory style calledsecco recitative, that is, with only acontinuo 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 byPontius Pilate's wife), except for:
Apart from the Evangelist and the Vox Christi thedramatis personae of these Gospel sections of theSt Matthew Passion consists of:
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:
In the scheme below indentation indicates the type of movement:
|→ Cornerstone choral movements
1.Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen –O Lamm Gottes unschuldig (Chorus I & II – Cantus firmus by ripieno soprano choir)
29.O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß (Chorale fatasie, text by Sebald Heyden) [1727/1729 version: "Jesum lass ich nicht von mir"; 1742 and 1743–1746 versions: ripieno soprano choir added to soprano line]
68.Wir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder (Chorus I & II)
The work is divided into two parts to be performed before and after the sermon of the Good Friday service.
The first scenes are inJerusalem: Jesus announces his death (No. 2), on the other hand the intention to get rid of him is expressed (No. 4). A scene inBethany (No. 4c) shows a woman anointing his head with valuable oils. The next scene (No. 7) hasJudas Iscariot 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 thePassover meal itself, theLast Supper, foreshadowed by the announcement of betrayal. After the meal they go together to theMount of Olives (No. 14) where Jesus predicts thatPeter will deny him three times before the cock crows. At the garden ofGethsemane (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 "Laßt ihn, haltet, bindet nicht!" (Leave him, stop, do not bind him!). In a dramatic highpoint of the Passion,[17][18] the chorus (No. 27b) furiously demands against the Jews who arrested Jesus "Zertrümmre, verderbe, verschlinge, zerschelle / Mit plötzlicher Wut / Den falschen Verräter, das mördrische Blut!" (Wreck, ruin, engulf, shatter with sudden force the false betrayer, the murderous blood!).
Part One is opened by the chorus "Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen" (Come ye daughters, join my lament), on a text by Picander. After 16 measures of instrumental introduction in12
8 time, driven by an ostinato
rhythm in the basses, Chorus I intonesKommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen, until in measure 26 they singSehet (Hark!) and Chorus II promptly asksWen? (Whom?), Chorus I replying withden Bräutigam (the bridegroom – implying Christ). The next call by Chorus I isSeht ihn (See him!), followed by the questionWie? (How?) by Chorus II, to which Chorus I answersals wie ein Lamm (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 ofNikolaus Decius' chorale "O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig" (OLamb of God, innocent) as thecantus firmus. 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:Sehet — Was? — seht die Geduld (See it! — What? – See the endurance) and ultimatelySeht — Wohin? — auf unsre Schuld (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.
Matthew 26:1–2 places the first scene two days before thePassover 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.
Chorale: first stanza of Johann Heermann's "Herzliebster Jesu". 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?"
Recitative and Aria for alto.
Aria (soprano)
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 wordHerr appears 11 times, once for each disciple except Judas Iscariot.[20]
Chorale
Recitative and Aria (soprano)
Chorale
Chorale
In the 1727/1729 version without music and text "Es dient zu meinem Freude"
Recitative (with Chorus II:Was ist die Ursach aller solcher Plagen?) and Aria (with Chorus II:So schlafen unsre Sünden ein) for tenor
Recitative and Aria (bass)
Chorale
Aria for soprano and alto (with Chorus II:Laßt ihn, haltet, bindet nicht!) and Chorus (I & II)
Part I is closed by a four-part Chorale Fantasia (both choirs) on the choraleO Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß (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 "Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht (Jesum laß ich nicht von mir)".
The first scene of Part Two is an interrogation at the High PriestCaiaphas (No. 37) where two witnesses report Jesus having spoken about destroying theTemple and building it again in three days. Jesus is silent to this, but his answer to the question if he is theSon of God is considered asacrilege 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 toPontius Pilate 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 orBarabbas, 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 is forced to carry the cross. AtGolgatha (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 calledElijah. 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 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.
Part Two is opened by a dialog between the alto soloist deploring her lost Jesus and choir II offering help in searching for him, quotingSong of Songs 6:1 (Wo ist denn dein Freund hingegangen). In the 1727/1729 version, the soloist is a bass.
Chorale
Recitative and Aria (tenor)
Chorale
Aria (alto)
Chorale
Aria (bass) with violin
Chorale
Chorale
Recitative and Aria (soprano)
Recitative and Aria (alto)
Chorale
Recitative and Aria (bass) Lute instead of Viola da gamba in 1727/1729 version.
Recitative and Aria for alto (from Chorus I), with a dialogue with Chorus II ("Wohin?") in the Aria
Chorale
This is by far the most unusually chromatic setting of this chorale tune (Befiehl du deine Wege / O Haupt, voll Blut und Wunden) found in thePassion, occurring at the high point of intensity at the death of Jesus.[20] 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).
Recitative and Aria (bass)
Recitative for bass, tenor, alto and soprano, with Chorus II singingMein Jesu, gute Nacht!.
The work is closed by a grand scale chorus inda capo form, choir I and II mostly in unison for the first partWir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder (We sit down in tears), but in dialog in the middle section, choir II repeating "Ruhe sanfte, sanfte ruh!" ("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).
TheSt Matthew Passion was not heard in more or less its entirety outside Leipzig until 1829, when the twenty-year-oldFelix Mendelssohn performed a version inBerlin, with theBerlin Singakademie, to great acclaim. Though most remained the same, Mendelssohn did edit parts of the passion to satisfy the taste of the time. Due to the changes in addition with other circumstances the reception was a success. Mendelssohn's revival brought the music of Bach, particularly the large-scale works, to public and scholarly attention (although theSt John Passion had been rehearsed by the Singakademie in 1822).
Sterndale Bennett 1845 edition of the Passion was to be the first of many (asAdolph Bernhard Marx andAdolf Martin Schlesinger'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.
The Passion was performed under the Cantor of St. Thomas until about 1800.[21] 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".[22]
In 1824,Felix Mendelssohn's maternal grandmother Bella Salomon had given him a copy of the score of the Passion.[23]Carl Friedrich Zelter had been head of the Sing-Akademie since 1800.[24] He had been hired to teach music theory to both Felix Mendelssohn and his sisterFanny. 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.[26]
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), [but] only a few of the chorales," which "emphasized the drama of the Passion story ... at the expense of the reflective and Italianate solo singing."[27]
In 1827, Felix and a few friends began weekly sessions to rehearse the Passion.[28] One of the group wasEduard Devrient, a baritone and since 1820 one of the principal singers at the Berlin Royal Opera.[29] 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.[30]
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."[31] 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 theBerliner Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung, founded and edited byAdolf Bernhard Marx.[32] 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.[33]
William Sterndale Bennett became a founder of theBach Society of London in 1849 with the intention of introducing Bach's works to the English public. Helen Johnston (a student atQueen's College, London) translated the libretto of the Passion, and Bennett conducted the first English performance at theHanover Square Rooms 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.
Excerpts of the work were performed on the American television programOmnibus on 31 March 1957 in the episode "The Music of J.S. Bach". The presenter and explicator wasLeonard Bernstein, who introduced theSt Matthew Passion as "that glorious work that started me off on my own private passion for Bach."[34]
TheHamburg Ballet presented aSaint Matthew Passion, created and choreographed byJohn Neumeier, at theHamburg State Opera in 1981.[35] The Hamburg Ballet production has been reproduced several times, including at theBrooklyn Academy of Music in New York in 1983[36] and theLos Angeles Opera in 2022. The Los Angeles Opera presentation involved "42 dancers, six singers, two choruses, and two mighty-in-sound chamber orchestras."[37]
Staged productions of thePassion includeLindy Hume's 2005 production for thePerth International Arts Festival, restaged in 2013 forOpera Queensland withLeif Aruhn-Solén [sv],Sara Macliver,Tobias Cole; andPeter Sellars' 2010 production with theBerlin Philharmonic underSimon Rattle withMark Padmore,Camilla Tilling,Magdalena Kožená,Topi Lehtipuu,Christian Gerhaher andThomas Quasthoff.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
![{ \new ChoirStaff <<
\new Staff <<
\new Voice \relative c'' { \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 8 = 120 \stemUp \clef treble \key fis \minor \time 3/8 s4. | <gis' dis>8^.^( <gis dis>^. <gis dis>^.) | s4. | <fis cis>8^.^( <fis cis>^. <fis cis>^.) | s4. | fis16^( eis dis cis) <b' gis>8^. | <a fis>^. r r | s4 }
\new Voice \relative c'' { \stemDown cis8[ d] cis | bis4. | b!32_([ cis d16 cis8)] b | ais4. | b8 a![_( gis)] | a fis[_( eis)] | fis \grace { e(} d4) | cis } \addlyrics { Buß – und Reu,– Buß4 und8 Reu– knirscht das Sün- den- herz ent- zwei }
\new Staff \relative c { \clef bass \key fis \minor \time 3/8 fis4.~_"Bar 13" | fis8 gis16( fis eis dis) | eis4. | e!8 fis16( e d cis) | d8( cis b) | cis4.~ | cis8 b16( a gis fis) | eis ^"173 bars"}
>> >> }](/image.pl?url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2f%2fupload.wikimedia.org%2fscore%2f9%2fc%2f9c7jxudcoho63m98k4a35pc74nhgqnn%2f9c7jxudc.png&f=jpg&w=240)
![\header { tagline = ##f }
\layout { indent = 0\cm
\context { \Score \remove "Bar_number_engraver" }
\context { \Voice \remove "Dynamic_engraver" }
}
global = { \time 4/4 \partial 4 \key d \minor }
verse = \lyricmode {
O Haupt voll Blut und Wun -- den,
voll Schmerz und vol -- ler Hohn!
O Haupt, sonst schön ge -- zie -- ret
mit höch -- ster Ehr' und Zier,
jetzt a -- ber hoch schimp -- fi -- ret:
ge -- grü -- ßet seist du mir!
}
verseR = \lyricmode {
O Haupt, zu Spott ge -- bun -- den
mit ei -- ner Dor -- nen -- kron!
}
soprano = \relative c'' { \global \autoBeamOff \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t
\set Staff.midiPanPosition = -0.5 \set midiInstrument = "choir aahs" %"violin"
\repeat volta 2 { a4 | d c bes a | g2 \tempo 4=28 a4 \fermata
\tempo 4=72 e'4 | f f e8 [d] e4 | d2. \fermata } \break
f4 | e8 [d] c4 d e | f2 \tempo 4=28 f4\fermata
\tempo 4=72 c | d4 c bes8 [a] bes4 | a2.\fermata
f'4 | e8 [f] g4 f e | d2 \tempo 4=28 e4\fermata
\tempo 4=72 a, | bes4 a g c | a2.\fermata \bar "|."
}
alto = \relative c'{ \global \set Staff.midiPanPosition = 0.5 \set midiInstrument = "choir aahs" %"violin"
\repeat volta 2 { f4\p | f8 g a4 d,8 e f4 | f (e) f
a | a a a a8 g | f2. }
a4 | g g8 f f4 bes | bes (a8 g) a4
a | a8 g a4 g8 fis g4 | fis2.
g4 | g c c c | c (b) c
f,8 e | d e f4 f e | f2. \bar "|."
}
tenor = \relative c' { \global \set Staff.midiPanPosition = -1 \set midiInstrument = "choir aahs" %"viola"
\repeat volta 2 { d4 | d8 e f4 g c, | d (c) c
e | e d d cis | a2. }
d8 c | bes4 c c bes8 c | d4 (c8 bes) c4
f8 ees | d4 d d d | d2.
d4 | c8 d e4 f g | a (g) g
c, | bes4 c c8 bes16 a g8 c | c2. \bar "|."
}
bass = \relative c' { \global \set Staff.midiPanPosition = 1 \set midiInstrument = "choir aahs" %"cello"
\repeat volta 2 { d8\p c | bes4 a g f | bes, (c) f \fermata
cis | d8 [e] f [g] a4 a, | d2.\fermata }
d4 | g a bes8 a g4 | f2 f4\fermata
f | bes fis g g, | d'2.\fermata
b4 | c c'8 b a4 g | f (g) c,\fermata
f | g a8 bes c4 c, | f2.\fermata \bar "|."
}
\score {
\new ChoirStaff <<
\new Staff = "female" <<
\new Voice = "Soprano" { \voiceOne \soprano }
\addlyrics \verse
\addlyrics \verseR
\new Voice = "Alto" { \voiceTwo \alto }
>>
\new Staff = "male" <<
\clef bass
\new Voice = "Tenor" { \voiceOne \tenor }
\new Voice = "Bass" { \voiceTwo \bass }
>>
>>
\layout { }
}
\score { \unfoldRepeats { << \soprano \\ \alto \\ \tenor \\ \bass >> }
\midi {
\tempo 4=72
\context { \Score midiChannelMapping = #'instrument }
\context { \Staff \remove "Staff_performer" }
\context { \Voice \consists "Staff_performer" }
}
}](/image.pl?url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2f%2fupload.wikimedia.org%2fscore%2fk%2f6%2fk66gakow19gdatlz48l5j10tj0lflsm%2fk66gakow.png&f=jpg&w=240)
