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An exciting concert from the Leipzig Bach Festival 2022: St John Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach (1749 version). The Choir & Orchestra of the J.S. Bach Foundation sing and play, conducted by Rudolf Lutz. The concert takes place at the tradition-steeped St Thomas Church Leipzig, where Bach himself spent time working. Performers: Evangelist and Arias: Daniel Johannsen | TENOR Jesus: Peter Harvey | BASS Miriam Feuersinger | SOPRANO Alex Potter | ALTUS Pilate and Arias: Matthias Helm | BASS Choir & Orchestra of the J.S. Bach Foundation St. Gallen Rudolf Lutz | CONDUCTOR Program: 00:00 Intro 00:21 Herr, unser Herrscher (choir) 08:57 Jesus ging mit seinen Jüngern (recitative) 11:29 O große Lieb (choir) 12:22 Auf dass das Wort (rec.) 13:40 Dein Will gescheh’ (choir) 14:31 Die Schar aber (rec.) 15:21 Von den Stricken meiner Sünden (aria) 20:05 Simon Petrus aber (rec.) 20:20 Ich folge dir gleichfalls mit freudigen Schritten (aria) 24:00 Derselbige Jünger war (rec.) 27:17 Wer hat dich so geschlagen? (choir) 29:31 Und Hannas sandte ihn gebunden (rec.) 31:55 Ach mein Sinn (aria) 34:27 Petrus, der nicht denkt zurück (choir) 36:09 Christus, der uns selig macht (choir) 37:20 Da führeten sie Jesum (rec.) 41:45 Ach großer König (choir) 43:36 Da sprach Pilatus (rec.) 45:42 Betrachte, meine Seele (aria) 48:00 Erwäge, wie sein blutgefärbter Rücken (aria) 55:49 Und die Kriegsknechte flochten (rec.) 1:01:50 Durch dein Gefängnis, Gottes Sohn (choir) 1:02:53 Die Juden aber schrieen (rec.) 1:07:08 Eilt, ihr angefochtnen Seelen (aria) 1:11:06 Allda kreuzigten (rec.) 1:13:20 In meines Herzens Grunde (choir) 1:14:45 Die Kriegsknechte aber (rec.) 1:18:42 Er nahm alles wohl in acht (choir) 1:19:52 Und von Stund an (rec.) 1:21:24 Es ist vollbracht (aria) 1:26:10 Und neigte das Haupt (rec.) 1:26:39 Mein teurer Heiland (aria) 1:31:50 Und siehe da (rec.) 1:32:25 Mein Herz, indem die ganze Welt (arioso) 1:33:15 Zerfließe, mein Herz (aria) 1:39:37 Die Jüden aber (rec.) 1:41:53 O hilf, Christe, Gottes Sohn (choir) 1:42:59 Darnach bat Pilatum (rec.) 1:45:05 Ruht wohl, ihr heiligen Gebeine (choir) 1:51:48 Ach Herr, lass dein lieb Engelein (choir) 1:54:28 Credits The St John Passion, BWV 245, one of the five Passions composed by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750), is one of the only two that have survived in their entirety (the other being the St Matthew Passion, BWV 244). The premiere performance of the St John Passion – also referred to as the Passio secundum Joannem – was held on Good Friday 1724, in Leipzig’s St Nicholas Church (Nikolaikirche). Bach was cantor at St Thomas Church in Leipzig from 1723 until his death in 1750. During this time, he performed the St John Passion himself at least four times in one of two main churches in Leipzig – and rewrote it for each one of the performances. Each of the revisions was extensive. He changed the structure, the instrumentation, the music, and sometimes even the text. On the basis of the four different versions of the St John Passion that he performed, Bach’s approach to working on this great piece of church music is still quite easy to understand today. The principal textual basis of the St John Passion are chapters 18 and 19 from the Gospel of John, some of which were transferred verbatim. In addition, interpolations of hymn stanzas for four-part choir form a framework through which the Passion can be inserted into the liturgical context. It is not known who arranged the text of the St John Passion for Bach. Nowadays, the St John Passion is usually performed in concert rather than at church services. This way, its highly dramatic effect can be fully appreciated.
