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St John Passion The ''Passio secundum Joannem'' or ''St John Passion'' (), BWV 245, is a Passion or oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach, the earliest of the surviving Passions by Bach. It was written during his first year as director of church music in Leipzi ...
'' (),
BWV The (, ; BWV) is a Catalogues of classical compositions, catalogue of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach. It was first published in 1950, edited by Wolfgang Schmieder. The catalogue's second edition appeared in 1990 and the third edition in ...
245, a sacred
oratorio An oratorio () is a musical composition with dramatic or narrative text for choir, soloists and orchestra or other ensemble. Similar to opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguisha ...
by
Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, ˆjoËhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...
first performed in
Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...
on
Good Friday Good Friday, also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday, or Friday of the Passion of the Lord, is a solemn Christian holy day commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary (Golgotha). It is observed during ...
1724, is "carefully designed with a great deal of musico-theological intent". Some main aspects of the structure are shown in tables below. The original Latin title translates to "Passion according to John". Bach's large choral composition in two parts on German text, written to be performed in a
Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
service on
Good Friday Good Friday, also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday, or Friday of the Passion of the Lord, is a solemn Christian holy day commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary (Golgotha). It is observed during ...
, is based on the
Passion Passion, the Passion or the Passions may refer to: Emotion * Passion (emotion), a very strong feeling about a person or thing * Passions (philosophy), emotional states as used in philosophical discussions * Stoic passions, various forms of emotio ...
, as told in two chapters from the
Gospel of John The Gospel of John () is the fourth of the New Testament's four canonical Gospels. It contains a highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus, with seven "Book of Signs, signs" culminating in the raising of Lazarus (foreshadowing the ...
( and ) in the translation by
Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...
, with two short interpolations from the
Gospel of Matthew The Gospel of Matthew is the first book of the New Testament of the Bible and one of the three synoptic Gospels. It tells the story of who the author believes is Israel's messiah (Christ (title), Christ), Jesus, resurrection of Jesus, his res ...
(in the earliest version, one is from the Gospel of Matthew and one from the
Gospel of Mark The Gospel of Mark is the second of the four canonical Gospels and one of the three synoptic Gospels, synoptic Gospels. It tells of the ministry of Jesus from baptism of Jesus, his baptism by John the Baptist to his death, the Burial of Jesus, ...
). During the vespers service, the two parts of the work were performed before and after the sermon. Part I covers the events until
Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...
's denial of Jesus, Part II concludes with the burial of Jesus. The Bible text is reflected in contemporary poetry and in
chorale A chorale is the name of several related musical forms originating in the music genre of the Lutheran chorale: * Hymn tune of a Lutheran hymn (e.g. the melody of " Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme"), or a tune in a similar format (e.g. one o ...
s that often end a "scene" of the narration, similar to the way a chorale ends most
Bach cantata The cantatas composed by Johann Sebastian Bach, known as Bach cantatas ( German: ), are a body of work consisting of over 200 surviving independent works, and at least several dozen that are considered lost. As far as known, Bach's earliest can ...
s. An anonymous poet supplied a few texts himself, quoted from other Passion texts and inserted various stanzas of chorales by nine hymn writers. Bach led the first performance on 7 April 1724 in Leipzig's . He repeated it several times between 1724 and 1749, experimenting with different movements and changing others, which resulted in four versions (with a fifth one not performed in Bach's lifetime, but representing the standard version). The Passion, close to Bach's heart, has an "immediate dramatic quality".


Structure


Text


Gospel

The gospel account by John narrates the story in five "scenes". The corresponding movement numbers are given from the (NBA). Part I #
Arrest An arrest is the act of apprehending and taking a person into custody (legal protection or control), usually because the person has been suspected of or observed committing a crime. After being taken into custody, the person can be question ...
( 1–5),
Kidron Valley The Kidron Valley ( classical transliteration, ''Cedron'', from , ''Naḥal Qidron'', literally Qidron River; also Qidron Valley) is a valley originating slightly northeast of the Old City of Jerusalem, which then separates the Temple Mount fro ...
() # Denial ( 6–14), palace of the high priest Kaiphas () Part II # Court hearing with
Pontius Pilate Pontius Pilate (; ) was the Roman administration of Judaea (AD 6–135), fifth governor of the Judaea (Roman province), Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official wh ...
( 15–26) ( and ) #
Crucifixion Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the condemned is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross, beam or stake and left to hang until eventual death. It was used as a punishment by the Achaemenid Empire, Persians, Ancient Carthag ...
and death ( 27–37),
Golgotha Calvary ( or ) or Golgotha () was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where, according to Christianity's four canonical gospels, Jesus was crucified. Since at least the early medieval period, it has been a destination for pilgrimage. ...
() #
Burial Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...
( 38–40), burial site () Some musicologists regard movement 24 as the conclusion of scene 3, the aria "" which locates the action from the courthouse to ''Golgotha'', the
calvary Calvary ( or ) or Golgotha () was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where, according to Christianity's four canonical gospels, Jesus was crucified. Since at least the early medieval period, it has been a destination for pilgrimage. ...
. Others, including
Alfred Dürr Alfred Dürr (3 March 1918 – 7 April 2011) was a German musicologist. He was a principal editor of the Neue Bach-Ausgabe, the second edition of the complete works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Professional career Dürr studied musicology and Clas ...
, regard the scene as ending with the last comment by Pilate. Bach incorporated two short interpolations from the
Gospel of Matthew The Gospel of Matthew is the first book of the New Testament of the Bible and one of the three synoptic Gospels. It tells the story of who the author believes is Israel's messiah (Christ (title), Christ), Jesus, resurrection of Jesus, his res ...
(in Version I, one from Matthew and one from the
Gospel of Mark The Gospel of Mark is the second of the four canonical Gospels and one of the three synoptic Gospels, synoptic Gospels. It tells of the ministry of Jesus from baptism of Jesus, his baptism by John the Baptist to his death, the Burial of Jesus, ...
), after John 18:27, describing the weeping of Peter, and after John 19:30, describing the tearing of the temple curtain (in Version I, this was replaced by ). The narrator is the Evangelist, a tenor. Jesus and all other male characters are sung by a
bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
(including Peter and Pilate) or tenor (servant); female characters (such as the Maid) are sung by a soprano, while the people who are often summarily called (the Jews), the servants of the High Priest, and the soldiers are sung by a four-part chorus (
SATB In music, SATB is a scoring of compositions for choirs or consorts of instruments consisting of four voice types: soprano, alto, tenor and bass. Choral music Four-part harmony using soprano, alto, tenor and bass is a common scoring in classic ...
) in dramatic movements. The "immediate, dramatic quality" of the "kind of musical equivalent of the Passion Play" relies on the setting of the interaction between the historical persons (Jesus, Pilate, Peter, Maid, Servant) and the crowd ("soldiers, priests, and populace").


Chorales

At eleven moments in the Passion, stanzas from
Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
chorales A Lutheran chorale is a musical setting of a Lutheran hymn, intended to be sung by a congregation in a German Protestant church service. The typical four-part setting of a chorale, in which the sopranos (and the congregation) sing the melody a ...
reflect the narration. Possibly Bach had an influence on their selection. He set them all in common time for four parts, the instruments playing ''colla parte'' with the voices. Five chorales conclude a scene (in movements 5, 14, 26, 37 and 40); while a chorale opens Part II ( 15). Five chorales comment within a scene ( 3, 11, 17, 22, 28), including the central movement (22). One chorale accompanies the bass soloist in an aria ( 32). Most chorale texts were written in the 16th and 17th century, by authors of the
Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
such as
Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...
, Martin Schalling and
Michael Weiße Michael Weiße or Weisse ( – 19 March 1534) was a German theologian, Protestant reformer and hymn writer. First a Franciscan, he joined the Bohemian Brethren. He published the most extensive early Protestant hymnal in 1531, supplying most hymn ...
, and by hymn writers including
Paul Gerhardt wikisource:The New International Encyclopædia/Gerhardt, Paulus, Paulus or Paul Gerhardt (12 March 1607 – 27 May 1676) was a German theologian, Lutheranism, Lutheran minister and hymnodist. Biography Gerhardt was born into a middle-class fam ...
and
Johann Heermann Johann Heermann (11 October 158517 February 1647) was a German poet and hymnodist. He is commemorated in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church on 26 October with Philipp Nicolai and Paul Gerhardt. Life Heermann was born in Raudten ( ...
. The central chorale is not part of a common hymn, its text being taken from a libretto by
Christian Heinrich Postel Christian Heinrich Postel (11 October 1658 – 22 March 1705) was a German jurist, epic poet and opera librettist, who wrote 28 libretti for the Oper am Gänsemarkt in Hamburg: set by composers such as Johann Philipp Förtsch, Reinhard Keiser a ...
.


Contemporary text

The third source for the text is contemporary poetry that reflects the biblical narration. It was compiled by an unknown author, who partly used existing text: from the
Brockes Passion The ''Brockes Passion'', or ' (title in English: ''The Story of Jesus, Suffering and Dying for the Sins of the World''), is a German oratorio libretto by Barthold Heinrich Brockes, first published in 1712 and going through 30 or so editions in ...
(, Hamburg, 1712 and 1715) by
Barthold Heinrich Brockes Barthold Heinrich Brockes (September 22, 1680 – January 16, 1747) was a German poet. Biography He was born in Hamburg and educated at the Gelehrtenschule des Johanneums. He studied jurisprudence at Halle, and after extensive travels in It ...
, he copied the text for movements 7, 19, 20, 24, 32, 34, 35 (partly) and 39; he found movement 13 in
Christian Weise Christian Weise (30 April 1642 – 21 October 1708), also known under the pseudonyms Siegmund Gleichviel, Orontes, Catharinus Civilis and Tarquinius Eatullus, was a German writer, dramatist, poet, pedagogue and librarian of the Baroque era. He pro ...
's (Leipzig, 1675) and took from Postel's (c. 1700) movements 19 (partly), 22 and 30. File:Brockes.jpg,
Barthold Heinrich Brockes Barthold Heinrich Brockes (September 22, 1680 – January 16, 1747) was a German poet. Biography He was born in Hamburg and educated at the Gelehrtenschule des Johanneums. He studied jurisprudence at Halle, and after extensive travels in It ...
, etching by Christian Fritzsch (1744) File:Christian Weise Kupferstich von J C Böcklin.jpg,
Christian Weise Christian Weise (30 April 1642 – 21 October 1708), also known under the pseudonyms Siegmund Gleichviel, Orontes, Catharinus Civilis and Tarquinius Eatullus, was a German writer, dramatist, poet, pedagogue and librarian of the Baroque era. He pro ...
,


Scoring

The work is scored for vocal soloists (
soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...
,
alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: '' altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In four-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in ch ...
,
tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...
and
bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
), a four-part choir
SATB In music, SATB is a scoring of compositions for choirs or consorts of instruments consisting of four voice types: soprano, alto, tenor and bass. Choral music Four-part harmony using soprano, alto, tenor and bass is a common scoring in classic ...
, and an
orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, ...
of two
flauto traverso The Western concert flute can refer to the common C concert flute or to the family of transverse (side-blown) flutes to which the C flute belongs. Almost all are made of metal or wood, or a combination of the two. A musician who plays the flute ...
(Ft) (except for Version I, since all evidence of Bach's use of traverse flutes point to the 2nd Cantata Cycle as when he first used them), two
oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double-reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common type of oboe, the soprano oboe pitched in C, ...
s (Ob), two oboes da caccia (Oc), two
oboes d'amore The ; (), less commonly (), is a double reed woodwind musical instrument in the oboe family. Slightly larger than the oboe, it has a less assertive and a more tranquil and serene tone, and is considered the mezzo-soprano of the oboe family, betw ...
(Oa), two
violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...
s,
viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...
(Va), and
basso continuo Basso continuo parts, almost universal in the Baroque era (1600–1750), provided the harmonic structure of the music by supplying a bassline and a chord progression. The phrase is often shortened to continuo, and the instrumentalists playing th ...
. Bach added some instruments which were already old-fashioned at the time in arias for special effects, such as the
archlute The archlute (, , ) is a European plucked string instrument developed around 1600 as a compromise between the very large theorbo, the size and re-entrant tuning of which made for difficulties in the performance of solo music, and the Renaissan ...
(Version I and 1739–1749 revision only, replaced by organ and/or harpsichord), the
viola d'amore The viola d'amore (; ) is a 7- or 6- stringed musical instrument with additional sympathetic strings used chiefly in the baroque period. It is played under the chin in the same manner as the violin. Structure and sound The viola d'amore shar ...
and the
viola da gamba The viola da gamba (), or viol, or informally gamba, is a bowed and fretted string instrument that is played (i.e. "on the leg"). It is distinct from the later violin family, violin, or ; and it is any one of the earlier viol family of bow (m ...
(Vg). Bach did not differentiate the
vox Christi Vox Christi, Latin for Voice of Christ, is a setting of Jesus' words in a vocal work such as a Passion (music), Passion, an Oratorium or a Cantata. Conventionally, for instance in Protestant music of the Baroque era, the vox Christi is set for a Ba ...
(voice of Christ), singing the words of Jesus, from the other bass recitatives and arias, nor the evangelist from the tenor arias.


Symmetry

The work displays a thoughtful
symmetry Symmetry () in everyday life refers to a sense of harmonious and beautiful proportion and balance. In mathematics, the term has a more precise definition and is usually used to refer to an object that is Invariant (mathematics), invariant und ...
. In the center of the five parts is the court hearing which confronts Jesus, Pilate, and the people. In the middle of the hearing, a chorale (22) interrupts the argument, which is a discussion about freedom and captivity. It is surrounded by two choral movements, which not only both ask for the crucifixion of Jesus, but also use the same musical motifs, the second time intensified. Again, in a repetition of similar musical material, a preceding choir explains the law, while a corresponding movement reminds Pilate of the Emperor whose authority is challenged by someone calling himself a king. Preceding this, Jesus is greeted in mockery as a king, corresponding in motif to the later request that Pilate should change the inscription saying he is "the King of the Jews" to "He said: I am the King of the Jews".


Versions

Bach led the first performance on 7 April 1724 at the ( St. Nicholas) as part of a Vesper service for
Good Friday Good Friday, also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday, or Friday of the Passion of the Lord, is a solemn Christian holy day commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary (Golgotha). It is observed during ...
. Part I was performed before the sermon, Part II after the sermon. Bach performed a second version on Good Friday a year later, 30 March 1725. Other versions were performed between 1728 and 1732 (version 3), and in 1749 (version 4). A final, fifth version, revised between 1739 and 1749, was never performed in Bach's lifetime. In version 2, Bach opened with a chorale fantasia on "" (O man, bewail thy sins so great), the first stanza of a 1525 hymn by
Sebald Heyden Sebald Heyden (8 December 1499 – 9 July 1561) was a German musicologist, cantor, theologian, hymn-writer and religious poet. A member of the Haiden family of Nuremberg, he is perhaps best known for his '' De arte canendi'' ("On the Art of Sin ...
, a movement which he ultimately used to conclude Part I of his ''
St Matthew Passion The ''St Matthew Passion'' (), BWV 244, is a '' Passion'', a sacred oratorio written by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1727 for solo voices, double choir and double orchestra, with libretto by Picander. It sets the 26th and 27th chapters of th ...
'', returning to the previous chorus in later versions of the ''St John Passion''. He used three alternative arias, one of them with a chorale sung by the choir, and replaced the two closing movements, the chorus and the chorale with the chorale fantasia on "" (Christ, you
Lamb of God Lamb of God (; , ) is a Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. It appears at wikisource:Bible (American Standard)/John#1:29, John 1:29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, " ...
), the German , published in Braunschweig in 1528. Bach took this movement from his cantata , which had been an audition piece for his
post Post, POST, or posting may refer to: Postal services * Mail, the postal system, especially in Commonwealth of Nations countries **An Post, the Irish national postal service **Canada Post, Canadian postal service **Deutsche Post, German postal s ...
in Leipzig. Before, it had been part of his
Weimarer Passion The ''Weimarer Passion'', BWV deest ( BC D 1), is a hypothetical Passion oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach, thought to have possibly been performed on Good Friday 26 March 1717 at Gotha on the basis of a payment of 12 Thaler on 12 April 1717 t ...
of 1717. In version 3, after Bach wrote his ''St Matthew Passion'', he returned the opening chorus and the final chorus to their initial position, but removed the Gospel passages from Matthew and the closing chorale. In version 5 (never performed), possibly dating from as early 1739, Bach returned to the first version, but revised it thoroughly. He began a new score which covers 12 movements. As
Christoph Wolff Christoph Wolff (born 24 May 1940) is a German musicologist. He is best known for his works on the music, life, and period of Johann Sebastian Bach. Christoph Wolff is an emeritus professor of Harvard University, and was part of the faculty sinc ...
observes: "The fragmentary revised score constitutes an extensive stylistic overhaul with painstaking improvements to the part-writing and a partial restructuring of the instrumentation; particular attention was paid to the word-setting in the recitatives and the continuo accompaniment." In 1749, Bach performed the St John Passion once more, in an expanded and altered form from the 1724 version, in what would be his last performance of a Passion. Wolff writes: "Bach experimented with the St John Passion as he did with no other large-scale composition", possible by the work's structure with the Gospel text as its backbone and interspersed features that could be exchanged. Wolff concludes: "the work accompanied Bach right from his first year as Kantor of St Thomas's to the penultimate year of his life and thus, for that reason alone, how close it must have been to his heart.


Overview

In the following, the movement numbers are those of the NBA, version I, unless otherwise noted.


The chorales in detail

The first chorale, movement 3, is inserted after Jesus tells the crowd to arrest him, but let his disciples go. "" (O mighty love, O love beyond all measure) is stanza 7 of
Johann Heermann Johann Heermann (11 October 158517 February 1647) was a German poet and hymnodist. He is commemorated in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church on 26 October with Philipp Nicolai and Paul Gerhardt. Life Heermann was born in Raudten ( ...
's 1630 hymn "", part of a movement to make German a literary language by imposing strict rules of metre and hymn; the form is that of a
Sapphic stanza The Sapphic stanza, named after the Ancient Greek poet Sappho, is an Aeolic verse form of Quatrain, four lines. Originally composed in quantitative verse and unrhymed, imitations of the form since the Middle Ages typically feature rhyme and accen ...
with the characteristically short last forth line which here literally is a punch line, hitting home: "" (And you must suffer). The hymn is based on a passion meditation which was attributed to the church father
St Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; ; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430) was a theologian and philosopher of Berbers, Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia (Roman province), Numidia, Roman North Africa. His writings deeply influenced th ...
(''Meditationes Divi Augustini''
chapter VII
– another nod to classical learning but with all the emotionally charged medieval rhetoric of
Anselm of Canterbury Anselm of Canterbury OSB (; 1033/4–1109), also known as (, ) after his birthplace and () after his monastery, was an Italian Benedictine monk, abbot, philosopher, and theologian of the Catholic Church, who served as Archbishop of Canterb ...
or
Bernard of Clairvaux Bernard of Clairvaux, Cistercians, O.Cist. (; 109020 August 1153), venerated as Saint Bernard, was an abbot, Mysticism, mystic, co-founder of the Knights Templar, and a major leader in the reform of the Benedictines through the nascent Cistercia ...
. The text addresses the crucified Christ pondering on the bodily signs of the passion but even more on the significance of this display of suffering. This verse breaks into the exclamation of wonder: a highly emotionally charged start the triple ‘o’ in the first line and the neologism of the ‘Marterstraße’ in the second which Bach makes audible in the chromatically discordant setting. It imagines Christ being physically pushed by Love personified on the road of suffering while the singer lives with Mrs World in sinful pleasure – a combination of the medieval concept of the “ Crucifixion by the virtues†with the pilgrim’s progress idea of encountering virtues and vices on the way. The second chorale, movement 5, ends the first scene, after Jesus remarks that he has to be obedient. "" (Your will be done, Lord God, alike) is stanza 4 of Luther's 1539 hymn ", a paraphrase of the
Lord's Prayer The Lord's Prayer, also known by its incipit Our Father (, ), is a central Christian prayer attributed to Jesus. It contains petitions to God focused on God’s holiness, will, and kingdom, as well as human needs, with variations across manusc ...
. The third chorale, movement 11, is inserted after Jesus asks those who are beating him for justification. Two stanzas from
Paul Gerhardt wikisource:The New International Encyclopædia/Gerhardt, Paulus, Paulus or Paul Gerhardt (12 March 1607 – 27 May 1676) was a German theologian, Lutheranism, Lutheran minister and hymnodist. Biography Gerhardt was born into a middle-class fam ...
's 1647 hymn "" comment the scene, stanza 3, "" (Who has you now so stricken), and stanza 4, "" (I, I and my transgressions), highlighting the personal responsibility of the speaking sinner for the suffering of Jesus. The fourth chorale, movement 14, ends the second scene and Part I. After Peter's denial, "" (Peter, when he fails to think) summarizes the scene with stanza 10 of Paul Stockmann's 1633 hymn "". The fifth chorale, movement 15, opens Part II and the third scene. "" (Christ, who has made us blessed), stanza 1 of
Michael Weiße Michael Weiße or Weisse ( – 19 March 1534) was a German theologian, Protestant reformer and hymn writer. First a Franciscan, he joined the Bohemian Brethren. He published the most extensive early Protestant hymnal in 1531, supplying most hymn ...
's 1531 hymn, summarizes what Jesus has to endure, even though he is innocent ("made captive, ... falsely indicted, and mocked and scorned and bespat"). The sixth chorale, movement 17, comments in two more stanzas from "Herzliebster Jesu" (3), after Jesus addresses the different people of his kingdom. Stanza 8, "" (Ah King so mighty, mighty in all ages) reflects the need for thanksgiving and stanza 9 the inability to grasp it, "" (I cannot with my reason ever fathom). The seventh chorale, movement 22, is the central movement of the whole Passion, which interrupts the conversation of Pilate and the crowd by a general statement of the importance of the passion for salvation: "" (Through your prison, Son of God, must come to us our freedom) is not part of a known hymn, but the text of an aria from a ''St John Passion'' by Postel from around 1700. The eighth chorale, movement 26, ends the scene of the court hearing, after Pilate refuses to change the inscription. "" (Within my heart's foundation) is stanza 3 of Valerius Herberger's 1613 hymn "". The ninth chorale, movement 28, is related to Jesus telling his mother and John to take care of each other. "" (He of all did well take heed) is stanza 20 of Stockmann's hymn (14). The tenth chorale, movement 32, is part of the bass aria which follows immediately after the report of the death of Jesus. "" (Jesus, you who suffered death, now live forever) is the final stanza of Stockmann's hymn (14). The eleventh chorale, movement 37, ends the scene of the crucifixion. "" (O help, Christ, Son of God) is stanza 8 of Weiße's hymn (15). The twelfth chorale, movement 40, ends the Passion. "" (Ah Lord, let your own angels dear) is stanza 3 of Martin Schalling's 1569 hymn "".


Tables of movements

The following tables give an overview of all versions of the Passion, first performed in 1724. Two variants of movement numbering are given, first that of the
Neue Bach-Ausgabe The New Bach Edition (NBE) (; NBA), is the second complete edition of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, published by Bärenreiter. The name is short for Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750): New Edition of the Complete Works (''Johann Sebastian ...
(NBA), then that of the
Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis The (, ; BWV) is a Catalogues of classical compositions, catalogue of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach. It was first published in 1950, edited by Wolfgang Schmieder. The catalogue's second edition appeared in 1990 and the third edition in ...
(BWV). Voices appear in one of three columns, depending on the text source: Bible, contemporary poetic reflection, or chorale. The
instrumentation Instrumentation is a collective term for measuring instruments, used for indicating, measuring, and recording physical quantities. It is also a field of study about the art and science about making measurement instruments, involving the related ...
is added, using abbreviations for instruments, followed by key and
time signature A time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, and measure signature) is an indication in music notation that specifies how many note values of a particular type fit into each measure ( bar). The time signature indicates th ...
, and the NBA number of a corresponding movement within the work's symmetry.


Version I

There are no extant
Flute The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...
parts for this version, so the movements that normally require them have
violins The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino pic ...
instead. This was performed in 1724. The Bach Compendium lists it as BC D 2a


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Version II

For this version (of 1725), in addition to the Flute parts (which were first used in late 1724 (after first Sunday after Trinity), Bach heavily revised both text and music. He added five movements from his ''
Weimarer Passion The ''Weimarer Passion'', BWV deest ( BC D 1), is a hypothetical Passion oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach, thought to have possibly been performed on Good Friday 26 March 1717 at Gotha on the basis of a payment of 12 Thaler on 12 April 1717 t ...
'', with three texts now thought to be by
Christoph Birkmann Christoph Birkmann (10 January 1703 – 11 March 1771) was a German theologian and minister. A pupil of Johann Sebastian Bach, he has been identified as the author of the texts of several Bach cantatas. Career Born in Nuremberg, Birkmann rece ...
. This is listed as BC 2b.


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Version III

In this version, Bach reverted to the original layout (thus discarding the previous revisions and additions). However, he decided to compose a true ''St John Passion'', and thus eliminated the material inserted from the Gospel of Matthew. Now 12c ends in Measure 31 and Movement 33 is eliminated altogether (replaced by a lost Sinfonia). He also dispensed with the Lute and the Viola d'amore, replacing them with an Organ and Violini con sordino. It was probably performed in 1730. This is listed as BC D 2c.


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Standard Version (1739–1749)

Essentially a reworking of the 1724 Version, this version is the most detail-oriented revision of the work. On 17 March 1739, while still working on this revision, Bach was informed that the performance of the Passion setting could not go ahead without official permission, thus (most likely) effectively halting any plans for that year. In response, Bach performed the ''Brockes-Passion'' of his friend,
Georg Philipp Telemann Georg Philipp Telemann (; – 25 June 1767) was a German Baroque composer and multi-instrumentalist. He is one of the most prolific composers in history, at least in terms of surviving works. Telemann was considered by his contemporaries to b ...
(TVWV 5:1). However, though he had stopped at measure 42 of Movement 10, he continued to work on this revision, as shown by the copyists' score and parts. It is listed as BC D 2e.


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Version IV

Essentially a re-production of Version I with a few alterations (text changes in Movements 9, 19 & 20, instrumentation reflective of Version III). It was performed in 1749 and (most likely) repeated in 1750. It also represents (outside of the ''
St Matthew Passion The ''St Matthew Passion'' (), BWV 244, is a '' Passion'', a sacred oratorio written by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1727 for solo voices, double choir and double orchestra, with libretto by Picander. It sets the 26th and 27th chapters of th ...
'') the largest instrumental ensemble used (calling for 3 1st Violins), and (for the first time in his work) calls for a
Contrabassoon The contrabassoon, also known as the double bassoon, is a larger version of the bassoon, sounding an octave lower. Its technique is similar to its smaller cousin, with a few notable differences. Differences from the bassoon The Reed (mouthpie ...
(used in all choral parts, as well as instrumental ritornellos). It is listed as BC D 2d.


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References


Sources


Scores

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Books

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Online sources

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Further reading

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External links

* * * * {{Gospel of John Passions and oratorios by Johann Sebastian Bach de:Johannes-Passion (J. S. Bach)#Werkübersicht fr:Passion selon saint Jean#Structure générale