Bach's St. John Passion Notes
Sacred Musical Work by a Baroque German Composer
Johann Sebastian Bach's St. John Passion: facts, the cast, brief history, and other related information.
Johann Sebastian Bach, Baroque Protestant German composer, composed St. John Passion (Passio secundum Johannem). The Gospel of St. John (Chapters 18 and 19), is set to music with interspersed chorales and arias.
Notes about St. John Passion
- Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach(1685-1750)
- Original Title: Passio secundum Johannem
- Original Language: German
- Text: From the Gospel of St. John, Chapters 18 and 19; in addition, excerpts from Barthold Heinrich Brockes's poem "Jesus Martyred and Dying for the sins of the world" (1715).
- Form: In two parts, including a total of 40 musical numbers (68 according to the old numbering system).
- Date of Writing: Anhalt-Kothen, 1722-1723; revised in 1725, around 1730, and then again, around 1739.
- First Performance: April 7, 1724, performed as part of Good Friday liturgy in the church of St. Nicholas in Leipzig, and not as a concert.
Brief History of Bach's St. John Passion
The St. John Passion seems to have been the first work of its kind composed by Bach. An earlier St. Luke Passion, presented under his name, has since turned out to be fairly certainly spurious. Bach, exceptionally receptive to other musicians' cocmpostiions, probably performed this rather weak work and for that purpose copied it out. However, the view that there were, in addition to the St. John and St. Matthew Passions, two other Bach works in this genre stubbornly persists, but thteyu are thought to haaave ben lost.
When Bach was certain that he had obtained the position in Leipzig and would soon begin his work there, he began to compose the St. John Passion while still in Kothen. He could not find a suitable libretto so he wrote one himself, using the text of the Gospel according to St. John, and adding some excerpts by the poet and town councilor of Hamburg, Barthold Heinrich Brockes.
It's not easily explained why JS Bach chose to compose this Passion upon assuming his new office.
Generally, Bach's St. Matthew Passion is preferred than his setting of this Passion, although contrary opinions have been voiced, like that of Robert Schumann.
Brief Synopsis of St. John Passion
This work tells the story of the capture of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, a place frequented by him and his disciples; his being interrogated by Annas, a brother-in-law of the High-Priest Caiphas; his being handed over to Caiphas and then to the Roman governor Pilate, who was convinced that Jesus had committed no crime; the insistence of the Jews that Jesus be condemned to death because he had called himself their "king;" of his crucifixion and death; his removal from the cross by Joseph of Arimathea and the hasty burial due to the approaching Sabbath.
The Cast of Characters of St. John Passion
- Evangelist (tenor)
- Jesus (bass)
- Peter (bass)
- Pilate (bass)
- Four solo voices (soprano, alto, tenor, bass),
- Four-part mixed chorus
Orchestration includes two flutes, two oboes, oboe d'amore, two oboes da caccia, viola da gamba, two violas d'amore, viola da gamba, strings, continuo with cello, bassoon, contrabass, organ or harpsichord.
A suggested recording Bach: St. John Passion / Gardiner, The English Baraoque Soloists.
Source
The World of Oratorio by Kurt Pahlen (1990)
