Classical Music / Sacred Music
Below, JS Bach St. John Passion BWV 245. (New Recording). Stephen Cleobury and the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge are joined by the Academy of Ancient Music in Bach’s much-loved St John Passion. Captured live in 2016 during Easter celebrations at the College, it features an all-star line-up of soloists who are renowned for their handling of the repertoire, including King’s alumnus James Gilchrist as the Evangelist and Neal Davies, Cardiff Singer of the World prize winner, as Jesus. Accessed July 26, 2020.
Orchestration: 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.
The Cast of Characters of St Matthew Passion
Trivia: Our Sydney Philharmonia Choirs (Symphony Chorus, Chamber Singers and Sydney Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra) will be performing Bach's St. John Passion Re-Imagined, with Brett Weymark conducting. Artists: Richard Butler (Evangelist), Andrew O'Connor (Christus), Celeste Lazarenko (Soprano), Anna Dowsley (Mezzo -Soprano), Brenton Spiteri (Tenor), David Greco (Bass). Saturday, 11 April 2020 at 3pm, Sydney Town Hall. (Note: Sadly, this concert has been cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic. / Tel, March 24, 2020.)
Johann Sebastian Bach's St. John Passion:
facts, the cast, brief history, and other related information.
Johann Sebastian Bach, a Protestant German composer of the Baroque
era, composed St. John Passion (Passio secundum Johannem). With interspersed chorales
and arias, the gospel of St. John
(Chapters 18 and 19) from the Holy Scriptures is set to music.
Facts
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 Matthew 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 have been 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.
Below, JS Bach St. John Passion BWV 245. (New Recording). Stephen Cleobury and the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge are joined by the Academy of Ancient Music in Bach’s much-loved St John Passion. Captured live in 2016 during Easter celebrations at the College, it features an all-star line-up of soloists who are renowned for their handling of the repertoire, including King’s alumnus James Gilchrist as the Evangelist and Neal Davies, Cardiff Singer of the World prize winner, as Jesus. Accessed July 26, 2020.
Orchestration: 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.
The Cast of Characters of St Matthew Passion
Evangelist (tenor)
Jesus (bass)
Peter (bass)
Pilate (bass)
Four solo voices (soprano, alto, tenor,
bass),
Four-part mixed chorus
Orchestra.
Trivia: Our Sydney Philharmonia Choirs (Symphony Chorus, Chamber Singers and Sydney Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra) will be performing Bach's St. John Passion Re-Imagined, with Brett Weymark conducting. Artists: Richard Butler (Evangelist), Andrew O'Connor (Christus), Celeste Lazarenko (Soprano), Anna Dowsley (Mezzo -Soprano), Brenton Spiteri (Tenor), David Greco (Bass). Saturday, 11 April 2020 at 3pm, Sydney Town Hall. (Note: Sadly, this concert has been cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic. / Tel, March 24, 2020.)
Bach
Resources:
Suggested
Recording:
Bach-Handel
Recitals
LPO, Sir Adrian Boult
Kathleen Ferrier
Historic Performances , recreated in Stereo,
Decca
(Note: I first published this piece for Suite101.com, 19 March 2008. It's been re-printed in abridged form for this post. / Tel.)
(c) March 21, 2010. Updated February 25, 2020. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment