Saint Matthew Passion BWV 244, "Passio Domini Nostri J.C. secundum Matthaeum", ca. 1725-28 / 1729 / 1736
Text and English translation (list of all movements)
Since 1870, the Netherlands has had a rich tradition of annual performances of the St. Matthew Passion. The Netherlands Bach Society was founded in 1921 as a reaction to the popular performances by Willem Mengelberg and the Concertgebouw Orchestra. The founders believed that the St. Matthew should be performed where it belongs - in a church - and (later) in an authentic performance. The annual performance of the Bach Society in Naarden became 'the' Dutch St. Matthew Passion.
The St. Matthew Passion tells the story of Jesus' passion and death as told in the Gospel of Matthew. The narrative is periodically interrupted by recitatives/arias and chorales. Jesus is betrayed, tried, crucified, and buried. The libretto was written by Picander (Christian Friedrich Henrici) in close consultation with Bach himself. At key moments in the story, Bach and Picander added chorales and arias to reflect the biblical story. At such moments, the action is suspended and the events are placed in the theological context of Bach's day.
It used to be thought that Bach composed the St. Matthew Passion in 1728 and that it was first performed in the Thomaskirche in Leipzig on April 15, 1729, Good Friday. Today it is believed that the first performance took place on April 11, 1727 (during Good Friday vespers), possibly because Bach made some (minor) changes to the composition in 1728. In 1736 and 1742, Bach again altered the score. In 1736, Bach replaced the simple chorale " Jesum lass ich nicht von mir" BWV 244b with the impressive chorale setting "O Mensch bewein deine Sünde groß", which was originally the opening chorus of the St. John Passion. Today, the 1736 version is considered the final version.
The Passion BWV 244 consists of two parts: the first part ends with the arrest of Jesus and contains 35 movements according to the Bach Werke Verzeichnis (BWV) and 29 movements according to the Neue Bach Ausgabe (NBA). The second part ends with the death of Jesus, including the sealing of the tomb, and consists of 43 and 39 movements, respectively.
The St. Matthew Passion is written for two choirs (groups of singers and instrumentalists). Each choir contains four voices, instruments, and is accompanied by its own continuo group. The Passion follows the method that Bach used in many of his cantatas. There are several main elements:
- Recitatives: the main one is the narrative according to the Gospel of Matthew, sung by the tenor. The characters who speak in the narrative are given their own voices. The arias are also introduced by recitatives. There are two types of recitatives: the recitativo secco (brief, accompanied by long horizontal chords) and the recitativo accompagnato (a recitative in which the accompaniment has a more polyphonic character).
- Chorales: which follow the text and melody of some well-known chorales.
- Arias: personal reactions to the event in verse form, most often in A-B-A form (da capo).
- Choral sections: usually comments from the crowd on the events. At several points in the St. Matthew Passion, the two choirs take on different roles. In six places there is a dialog between believers and eyewitnesses. Chorus I "plays" the role of the "Daughters of Zion," a personification of Jesus' contemporaries and thus eyewitnesses to the story. Choir II represents the "believers" wherever and whenever they are in the world. In other places in St. Matthew's Passion, Chorus I represents the higher, divine, and Chorus II the lower, worldly. In other places, the two choirs are combined into one large chorus.
St. Matthew's Passion has a clear structure. After the great opening chorus, the Evangelist tells the story of Jesus' passion and death with minimal musical accompaniment. This narrative line is interrupted by recitatives, arias, and chorales that allow for individual or collective reflection on the story. St. Matthew's Passion ends with the death and burial of Jesus with the final chorus, "Wir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder."
In the Netherlands it has become customary not to applaud after the performance because of the religious atmosphere of the piece - one does not clap after a church service. Moreover, the ending - the death of Christ - gives no reason for enthusiasm. This tradition still exists for performances in churches, where people usually stand in silence after the performance in appreciation of the performers.
Text and English translation.
Listen to this wonderful performance by the Netherlands Bach Society & Kampen Boys Choir, Jos van Veldhoven, conductor.
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