ACADEMY OF ANCIENT MUSIC JS BACH ST JOHN PASSION RICHARD EGARR · DIRECTOR & HARPSICHORD JS BACH ST JOHN PASSION BWV245 2 (1724 version) James Gilchrist · Evangelista Matthew Rose · Jesus Ashley Riches · Pilatus Elizabeth Watts · soprano Sarah Connolly · alto Andrew Kennedy · tenor Christopher Purves · bass Philippa Hyde · Ancilla Richard Latham · Petrus James Geer · Servus Richard Egarr · director & harpsichord Academy of Ancient Music Choir of the AAM Richard Stokes · language advisor Philip Hobbs · producer JS BACH ST JOHN PASSION 3 PART ONE 31’41 1. Chorus Herr, unser Herrscher 7’09 2. Recitativo (Evangelista, Jesus) Jesus ging mit seinen Jüngern 1’05 3. Chorus Jesum von Nazareth! 0’09 4. Recitativo (Evangelista, Jesus) Jesus spricht zu ihnen 0’35 5. Chorus Jesum von Nazareth! 0’09 6. Recitativo (Evangelista, Jesus) Jesus antwortete 0’22 7. Choral O große Lieb 0’40 8. Recitativo (Evangelista, Jesus) Auf daß, das Wort erfüllet würde 1’01 9. Choral Dein Will gescheh, Herr Gott, zugleich 0’43 10. Recitativo (Evangelista) Die Schar aber und der Oberhauptmann 0’45 11. Aria (alto, oboes) Von den Stricken meiner Sünden 4’30 12. Recitativo (Evangelista) Simon Petrus aber folgete Jesu nach 0’13 13. Aria (soprano, flute) Ich folge dir gleichfalls 3’52 14. Recitativo (Evangelista, Ancilla, Petrus, Jesus, Servus) Derselbige Jünger 3’02 15. Choral Wer hat dich so geschlagen 1’20 16. Recitativo (Evangelista) Und Hannas sandte ihn gebunden 0’22 17. Chorus Bist du nicht seiner Jünger einer? 0’25 18. Recitativo (Evangelista, Petrus, Servus) Er leugnete aber und sprach 1’26 19. Aria (tenor, tutti) Ach, mein Sinn 2’54 20. Choral Petrus, der nicht denkt zurück 0’57 JS BACH ST JOHN PASSION 4 PAR T T WO 72’56 1. Choral Christus, der uns selig macht 0’57 2. Recitativo (Evangelista, Pilatus) Da führeten sie Jesum 0’36 3. Chorus Wäre dieser nicht ein Übeltäter 0’55 4. Recitativo (Evangelista, Pilatus) Da sprach Pilatus zu ihnen 0’11 5. Chorus Wir dürfen niemand töten 0’34 6. Recitativo (Evangelista, Pilatus, Jesus) Auf daß erfüllet würde das Wort 1’36 7. Choral Ach großer König 1’13 8. Recitativo (Evangelista, Pilatus, Jesus) Da sprach Pilatus zu ihm 1’14 9. Chorus Nicht diesen, sondern Barrabam! 0’10 10. Recitativo (Evangelista) Barrabas aber war ein Mörder 0’25 11. Arioso (bass, violas d’amore) Betrachte, meine Seel 2’07 12. Aria (tenor, violas d’amore) Erwäge, wie sein blutgefärbter Rücken 8’10 13. Recitativo (Evangelista) Und die Kriegsknechte flochten eine Krone 0’19 14. Chorus Sei gegrüßet, lieber Jüdenkönig! 0’32 15. Recitativo (Evangelista, Pilatus) Und gaben ihm Backenstreiche 0’59 16. Chorus Kreuzige, kreuzige! 0’52 17. Recitativo (Evangelista, Pilatus) Pilatus sprach zu ihnen 0’18 18. Chorus Wir haben ein Gesetz 1’08 19. Recitativo (Evangelista, Pilatus, Jesus) Da Pilatus das Wort hörete 1’18 20. Choral Durch dein Gefängnis, Gottes Sohn 0’42 JS BACH ST JOHN PASSION 5 PART TWO contd. 21. Recitativo (Evangelista) Die Jüden aber schrieen und sprachen 0’04 22. Chorus Lässest du diesen los 1’08 23. Recitativo (Evangelista, Pilatus) Da Pilatus das Wort hörete 0’40 24. Chorus Weg, weg mit dem, kreuzige ihn! 0’57 25. Recitativo (Evangelista, Pilatus) Spricht Pilatus zu ihnen 0’12 26. Chorus Wir haben keinen König 0’08 27. Recitativo (Evangelista) Da überantwortete er ihn 0’47 28. Aria (bass) und chorus Eilt, ihr angefochtnen Seelen 3’42 29. Recitativo (Evangelista) Allda kreuzigten sie ihn 1’22 30. Chorus Schreibe nicht “Der Jüden König” 0’31 31. Recitativo (Evangelista, Pilatus) Pilatus antwortet 0’19 32. Choral In meines Herzens Grunde 0’50 33. Recitativo (Evangelista) Die Kriegsknechte aber 0’34 34. Chorus Lasset uns den nicht zerteilen 1’33 35. Recitativo (Evangelista, Jesus) Auf daß erfüllet würde die Schrift 1’39 36. Choral Er nahm alles wohl in acht 0’51 37. Recitativo (Evangelista, Jesus) Und von Stund an nahm sie der Jünger 1’17 38. Aria (alto, viola da gamba) Es ist vollbracht! 5’28 39. Recitativo (Evangelista) Und neiget das Haupt 0’21 40. Aria (bass, cello) und choral Mein teurer Heiland, laß dich fragen 5’08 JS BACH ST JOHN PASSION 6 PART TWO contd. 41. Recitativo (Evangelista) Und der Vorhang im Tempel zerriß 0’10 42. Arioso (tenor, flute, oboe da caccia) Mein Herz, indem die ganze Welt 0’38 43. Aria (soprano, flute, oboe da caccia) Zerfließe, mein Herze 7’24 44. Recitativo (Evangelista) Die Jüden aber, dieweil es der Rüsttag war 1’59 45. Choral O hilf, Christe, Gottes Sohn 0’53 46. Recitativo (Evangelista) Darnach bat Pilatum Joseph von Arimathia 2’04 47. Chorus Ruht wohl, ihr heiligen Gebeine 6’27 48. Choral Ach Herr, laß dein lieb Engelein 1’38 Total timing 104’37 FURTHER MOVEMENTS AND VERSIONS AVAILABLE ONLINE www.aam.co.uk/stjohnpassion Chorus Wir haben keinen König – versions with alternative instrumentation Chorus O Mensch, bewein (opening chorus of 1725 version) – complete performance JS BACH ST JOHN PASSION 7 “Herr, unser Herrscher”: recording the opening chorus Saint Jude-on-the-Hill, London, 1 April 2013 JS BACH ST JOHN PASSION 8 INTRODUCING THE PASSION When the St John Passion was first performed In the early 18th century it was highly “The people certainly would not have come at the Nikolaikirche in Leipzig on Good Friday contentious to write Passion music in an to church so promptly and in such numbers 1724, Bach’s congregation would never have operatic style. Although some people argued because of the preacher but rather presumably previously heard anything like it. The custom in that an operatic style allowed composers to because of the music. The libretto was simply Leipzig was to tell the story of Christ’s trial and arouse the emotions contained in the Passion the account of Christ’s suffering from one of the crucifixion using the simple setting of Johann story, other Lutherans preferred old-fashioned Gospels, into which frequent chorales and also Walter (c.1530), where the words of scripture styles such as motets that conveyed solemnity two or three arias were introduced. I marvelled were recited as in plainchant. The only change and devotion. There was also disquiet at how diligently people listened and how devoutly from this tradition occurred in 1721 and 1722 the way that many modern versions of the they sang along; it was the moving music when Bach’s predecessor, Johann Kuhnau, Passion – such as the settings of Barthold that contributed the most to this, and even performed a more elaborate setting of the Heinrich Brockes’s libretto Der für die Sünde though the service lasted more than four hours, Passion according to St Mark, using instruments der Welt gemarterte und sterbende Jesus (“The everyone stayed until it was over.” as well as voices and intermingling the Biblical story of Jesus, suffering and dying for the sins narrative with contemplative arias and chorales. of the world”) – dispensed with the Biblical By contrast, Christian Gerber (1732), an text altogether, instead putting the story into opponent of elaborate church music, reported Bach’s St John Passion followed Kuhnau’s model modern language (complete with the ornate a hostile response to the innovations of in some respects, but went much further than metaphors beloved of baroque poets). composers such as Bach: Kuhnau had dared. Bach’s work was of a length never before encountered in Leipzig, and The polarised opinions aroused by pieces similar “But gradually the Passion story, which had used a substantial ensemble including chorus, to the St John Passion can be sensed from formerly been sung in simple plainchant, orchestra and several unusual instruments such two accounts of the time. Gottfried Ephraim humbly and reverently, began to be sung as the viola d’amore and viola da gamba. In Scheibel (1721) claimed that performing with many kinds of instruments in the most addition, Bach’s Passion was far more operatic in Passions in an operatic style was a way to attract elaborate fashion … When this Passion music style, with vivid arias communicating the pathos large congregations to church: was performed for the first time in one of our and pain of Christ’s trial and crucifixion. great cities with 12 violins [i.e. strings], many JS BACH ST JOHN PASSION 9 oboes, bassoons and other instruments, many Passion oratorios with librettos by Brockes The final element in the text of the St John people were shocked and didn’t know what had abandoned the scriptural text altogether. Passion comprises strophes from chorales to make of it. In the pew of a noble family in Instead the clergy seem to have instructed (German congregational hymns), probably church, many ministers and noble ladies were Bach to retain the entire Biblical text in the chosen by Bach himself. The chorales comment present and sang the first Passion hymn from St John Passion. The Biblical words are set to on the action and voice the collective response their books with great devotion, but when this recitative, with a tenor voice (the Evangelist) of the congregation, using the familiar language theatrical music commenced, all these people acting as narrator. In addition, Bach included of Lutheran hymnodists. For instance, the first were filled with the greatest amazement, looked two further layers of text, creating a rich poetic chorale (CD 1, track 7) is sung after Jesus has at one another, and said, ‘May God preserve us, framework for the music. For the arias, he freely identified himself to his captors, and children. It’s as if a person were at the opera or used free poetry in an up-to-date style; these expresses the self-sacrifice inherent in Christ’s the theatre.’ Everyone thoroughly disapproved texts were assembled by an unknown author actions: “O große Lieb, O Lieb ohn alle Maße” of the music and registered justified complaints (possibly Bach himself, or a local theologian).