Baroque Forms: Passion

J.S. Bach - St. Matthew Passion

The St Matthew Passion was probably first performed on 11 April 1727 in the St. Thomas Church, and again on 15 April 1729, 30 March 1736, and 23 March 1742. Bach then revised it again between 1743 and 1746 (the latter which is most commonly performed). It wasn't until 1829 that it was widely heard outside Leipzig, when Felix Mendelssohn performed a shortened and modified version in Berlin, with great success. This sparked a renewed interest in Bach's music (especially his large-scale works) which persists to this day.

'Passion' refers to the narrative of Jesus Christ's sufferings subsequent to the last supper as recorded in the gospels. Scored for two choirs, two orchestras and soloists, Bach's St.Matthew Passion is a large-scale work, in two parts, with 68 individual movements lasting between 20 seconds and seven minutes It is opera-like, including music, text, singing and drama. It was intended to be performed on Good Friday, and as a sacred work in a church setting, applause is not appropriate. It is performed as part of a long service of several hours, with hymns and sermons being performed before and after the passion, and during the interval.

The arias, set to texts by Picander (Christian Friedrich Henrici), are interspersed between sections of the Gospel text. They are sung by soloists with a variety of instrumental accompaniments, typical of the oratorio style. Bach would highlight certain highly emotive words in recitatives with chromatic melodies, diminished 7th chords and sudden modulations.

St.Matthew Passion is highly descriptive and graphic. Bach's score is covered with 'sound images', often only a bar or two long, that depict certain actions and events. At one point Bach composes for the violins and violas with great imagery; a scene that depicts the blows of the whips onto Jesus. At other places he uses pattering quavers to represent blood and tear drops. Picander's libretto is equally graphic, with references to blood, tears, weeping, distress or mourning on every page.

My Response

Writing my response to listening to Bach's St.Matthew Passion is a practically impossible task, as I couldn't possibly do it justice after only a morning's worth of listening and research. It is a huge and complex work, with many intricate details, and would take many listenings and viewings of performances, perhaps over a number of years, to begin to grasp it's workings. Not only that, but as a person not of religious belief, I am not very familiar with the events depicted.

With that being said, I can give my first impressions. Just seeing the track list of 68 movements laid out in front of me was very daunting, but knowing that this work is considered one of the greatest masterpieces in Western music I was not put off. I listened to several of the movements in order while collecting my research, and just let the music wash over me.

While looking into the circumstances of the work's composition, I came across an article that specifically mentioned a particular movement - 'So ist mein Jesus nun gefangen' - which translates as 'Thus hath my Jesus now been taken'. It is a duet between soprano and alto, who have resigned themselves to Jesus' fate after he is captured. Their melody flows along serenely, until unexpectedly the chorus interjects in anger with 'Lasst ihn, haltet, bindet nicht' - 'Free him, hold off, bind him not'. This short statement from the chorus has a very distinct rhythm which I enjoyed, but I was particularly captivated by the musical texture generated, because during the chorus' outburst, the soloists do not stop, and you can still hear their distress in the background. This juxtaposition of emotions I found very effective.

I think that any person, with repeated listening and the guidance of a good book, could really enjoy and be inspired by this monumental work. I think however that to completely grasp the emotions portrayed you have to be a Christian, and to firmly believe in the text of the gospels.