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Bach St. Matthew Passion program notes, recordings and sheet music

Program Notes: Johann Sebastian Bach – St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244

Welcome, dear concert-goer, to a profound and deeply moving experience that transcends mere musical performance to become a spiritual journey. Tonight, we have the immense privilege of hearing Johann Sebastian Bach’s monumental St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244 – a work of unparalleled emotional depth, dramatic power, and musical genius, widely considered one of the greatest sacred compositions in the history of Western music.

Bach: The Preacher Through Music

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was not only a towering musical intellect but also a devout Lutheran whose faith permeated every note he composed. As Thomaskantor in Leipzig, his primary duty was to provide music for the city's main churches, particularly for the elaborate Good Friday Vespers services. For these services, it was customary to perform a Passion — a musical setting of the Gospel account of Christ's suffering and crucifixion.

The St. Matthew Passion, likely first performed on Good Friday, April 11, 1727 (though some scholars suggest 1729 or 1736), is Bach's most ambitious and emotionally powerful setting of the Passion narrative. It is a work of immense scale, requiring two choirs, two orchestras, multiple vocal soloists, and an organ (continuo).

A Drama Unfolds: The Narrative and Structure

Bach's St. Matthew Passion is much more than just a musical performance; it’s a profound liturgical drama that invites the listener into a deeply personal reflection on the Passion story. The libretto, a collaboration between Bach and Picander (Christian Friedrich

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    St-Matthew Passion BWV244   
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