J.S. Bach composed his St John Passion during his first winter in Leipzig, in advance of the Good Friday Vespers service of 1724. It is written for an intimate ensemble (much more modest than the scoring of his later St Matthew Passion) and was originally to be performed in the Thomaskirche, being moved to the Nikolaikirche at short notice. The music is a vivid representation of Christ's Passion as told in St John's Gospel, constructed of recitatives and choruses, with commentary in reflective chorales, ariosos and arias. The music is, by nature of the story, inherently dramatic, and tells the story of Jesus' death through the words of the Evangelist (tenor), Christ (bass) and a number of smaller roles including Pilate and Peter. Few who attended the service in the Nikolaikirche can have experienced, outside of the opera house, a work on the scale of the St John Passion, one that included such a large proportion of recitative. Today it, together with the St Matthew Passion, is regarded as a masterpiece of devout Lutheran church music, but in it's day it must have sounded radical. That being said, the chorales (or "hymns") within the work were designed to involve everyone in the performance, and these would have been familiar to the congregation (Melchior Vulpius's melody, for instance) - whether or not they ended up singing them. Some of the most affective moments of the work occur in these chorales as well as in the arias, which are remarkable for their range of expression as well as their instrumentation. Take, for instance, the poignant use of the bass viol in the accompaniment of Jesus' last words on the cross in the expressive aria 'Es ist vollbracht'. A masterpiece of expression and theatricality such as the St John Passion requires a masterful interpretation; in this recording, under the baton of Ludwig Güttler - who shot to fame as a Baroque trumpeter - the Hallenser Madrigalisten and Virtuosi Saxoniae rise to the challenge, giving a "technically accomplished and
expressive" performance (Gramophone). They are joined by acclaimed tenor Christoph Genz in the role of the Evangelist and Egbert Junghanns as Jesus.
Bach's Johannes Passion may be on a smaller scale than the Matthäus Passion, it is by no means less monumental or dramatic. This reissue of a Berlin Classics recording achieves with it's relatively small ensemble and choir an intimate yet powerful performance in which the drama of Christ's suffering is presented in deeply moving arias and chorales.
Played on modern instruments the Virtuosi Saxoniae under Ludwig Güttler adhere to the principles of Historically Informed Performance Practice. The soloists include Christoph Genz, Christiane Oelze and Egbert Junghanns.
14 Derselbige Jünger War Dem Hohenpriester Bekannt
15 Wer Hat Dich So Geschlagen
16 Und Hannas Sandte Ihn Gebunden
17 Bist Du Nicht Seiner Jünger Einer?
18 Er Leugnete Aber
19 Ach, Mein Sinn
20 Petrus, Der Nicht Denkt Zurück
21 Christus, Der Uns Selig Macht
22 Da Führeten Sie Jesum
23 Wäre Dieser Nicht Ein Übeltäter
24 Da Sprach Pilatus Zu Ihnen
25 Wir Dürfen Niemand Töten
26 Auf Daß Erfüllet Würde Das Wort Jesu
27 Ach Großer König
28 Da Sprach Pilatus Zu Ihm
29 Nicht Diesen, Sondern Barrabam!
30 Barrabas Aber War Ein Mörder
31 Betrachte, Meine Seel
32 Erwäge, Wie Sein Blutgefärbter Rücken
- Disc 2 -
1 Und Die Kriegsknechte Flochten
2 Sei Gegrüßet, Lieber Jüdenkönig!
3 Und Gaben Ihm Backenstreiche
4 Kreuzige, Kreuzige!
5 Pilatus Sprach Zu Ihnen
6 Wir Haben Ein Gesetz
7 Da Pilatus Das Wort Hörete
8 Durch Dein Gefängnis, Gottes Sohn
9 Die Juden Aber Schrieen - Lässest Du Diesen los
10 Da Pilatus Das Wort Hörete
11 Weg, Weg Mit Dem
12 Spricht Pilatus Zu Ihnen
13 Wir Haben Keinen König
14 Da Überantwortete Er Ihn
15 Eilt, Ihr Angefochtnen Seelen
16 Allda Kreuzigten Sie Ihn
17 Schreibe Nicht. Der Jüden König
18 Pilatus Antwortet
19 in Meines Herzens Grunde
20 Die Kriegsknechte Aber
21 Lasset Uns Den Nicht Zerteilen
22 Auf Daß Erfüllet Würde Die Schrift
23 Er Nahm Alles Wohl in Acht
24 Und Von Stund An
25 Es Ist Vollbracht!
26 Und Neiget Das Haupt Und Verschied
27 Mein Teurer Heiland
28 Und Siehe Da
29 Mein Herz, Indem Die Ganze Welt
30 Zerfließe, Mein Herze
31 Die Juden Aber
32 O Hilf, Christe, Gottes Sohn
33 Darnach Bat Pilatum
34 Ruht Wohl, Ihr Heiligen Gebeine
35 Ach Herr, Laß Dein Lieb Engelein
J.S. Bach composed his St John Passion during his first winter in Leipzig, in advance of the Good Friday Vespers service of 1724. It is written for an intimate ensemble (much more modest than the scoring of his later St Matthew Passion) and was originally to be performed in the Thomaskirche, being moved to the Nikolaikirche at short notice. The music is a vivid representation of Christ's Passion as told in St John's Gospel, constructed of recitatives and choruses, with commentary in reflective chorales, ariosos and arias. The music is, by nature of the story, inherently dramatic, and tells the story of Jesus' death through the words of the Evangelist (tenor), Christ (bass) and a number of smaller roles including Pilate and Peter. Few who attended the service in the Nikolaikirche can have experienced, outside of the opera house, a work on the scale of the St John Passion, one that included such a large proportion of recitative. Today it, together with the St Matthew Passion, is regarded as a masterpiece of devout Lutheran church music, but in it's day it must have sounded radical. That being said, the chorales (or "hymns") within the work were designed to involve everyone in the performance, and these would have been familiar to the congregation (Melchior Vulpius's melody, for instance) - whether or not they ended up singing them. Some of the most affective moments of the work occur in these chorales as well as in the arias, which are remarkable for their range of expression as well as their instrumentation. Take, for instance, the poignant use of the bass viol in the accompaniment of Jesus' last words on the cross in the expressive aria 'Es ist vollbracht'. A masterpiece of expression and theatricality such as the St John Passion requires a masterful interpretation; in this recording, under the baton of Ludwig Güttler - who shot to fame as a Baroque trumpeter - the Hallenser Madrigalisten and Virtuosi Saxoniae rise to the challenge, giving a "technically accomplished and
expressive" performance (Gramophone). They are joined by acclaimed tenor Christoph Genz in the role of the Evangelist and Egbert Junghanns as Jesus.
Bach's Johannes Passion may be on a smaller scale than the Matthäus Passion, it is by no means less monumental or dramatic. This reissue of a Berlin Classics recording achieves with it's relatively small ensemble and choir an intimate yet powerful performance in which the drama of Christ's suffering is presented in deeply moving arias and chorales.
Played on modern instruments the Virtuosi Saxoniae under Ludwig Güttler adhere to the principles of Historically Informed Performance Practice. The soloists include Christoph Genz, Christiane Oelze and Egbert Junghanns.
