Bach: Johannes-Passion (2 DISCS Download)

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Bach: Johannes-Passion (2 DISCS Download)

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Johann Sebastian Bach – Johannes-Passion

La Petite Bande

Sigiswald Kuijken

Challenge Classics / HQ|NORTHSTAR

Catalogue CC72545

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About the Album

During Bach’s lifetime there were four different performances, each time with new modifications, some in response to the circumstances at the time, others influenced by which musicians and instruments he then had at his disposal.

However Bach experimented to the greatest degree with the second version, dating from 1725: for instance, he used a different opening chorus (which was later to become the closing chorus of the first part of the St Matthew Passion, a work yet to be composed at this stage) and a couple of other arias near the end of the work.

For the later performances he reverted to his first version from 1724, albeit with some differences in instrumentation. For instance, in the final version he includes a bassono grosso, but no one knows for certain which instrument he had in mind; possibly a 16-foot bassoon, i.e. a contrabassoon, a veritable chimney pot two metres in length. However, he scored this instrument in combination with the delicate sound of the lute and two violas d’amore, of all things!

I cannot believe that Bach would opt for such an instrument in this passage; an 8-foot bassoon is more likely and the term bassono grosso probably indicates this more modern type of instrument rather than the earlier dulcian, although the latter had not totally fallen out of fashion at the time. However, I would not venture a definite opinion as to what bassono grosso means in this context.

So we did not use this instrument: this was yet another reason to stick with the first version, since it raises fewer uncertain issues. Nevertheless, there are still various grey areas involved. Even prior to the first performance, before making the individual orchestral parts, Bach began to write out the score in fine calligraphy, a task he did not complete; and this score deviates in some aspects from the orchestral material used in the actual performance.

The process of determining the most probable historical truth continues to have elements reminiscent of a detective novel; anyway, it will never be possible to clarify certain details.

Album Tracks

DISC 1

First Part
1. [1] 1. Chorus: Herr, unser Herrscher 9:31
2. [2] 2a. Recitative: Jesus ging mit seinen Jüngern 2:07
  
  2b. Chorus: Jesum von Nazareth
  
  2c. Recitative: Jesus spricht zu ihnen
3. [3] 3. Chorale: O große Lieb 0:41
4. [4] 4. Recitative: Auf dass das Wort erfüllet würde 1:02
5. [5] 5. Chorale: Dein Will gescheh 0:47
6. [6] 6. Recitative: Die Schar aber und der Oberhauptmann 0:41
7. [7] 7. Aria: Von den Stricken meiner Sünden 5:05
8. [8] 8. Recitative: Simon Petrus aber folgete Jesu 0:12
9. [9] 9. Aria: Ich folge dir gleichfalls 3:23
10. [10] 10. Recitative: Derselbige Jünger 2:45
11. [11] 11. Chorale: Wer hat dich so geschlagen 1:27
12. [12] 12a. Recitative: Und Hannas sandte ihn 2:03
  
  12b. Chorus: Bist du nicht seiner Jünger einer?
  
  12c. Recitative: Er leugnete aber und sprach
13. [13] 13. Aria: Ach, mein Sinn 2:34
14. [14] 14. Chorale: Petrus, der nicht denkt zurück 1:01
total time 33:25
4
DISC 2 Second Part
1. [1] 15. Chorale: Christus, der uns selig macht 1:01
2. [2] 16a. Recitative: Da führeten sie Jesum von Kaipha vor das Richthaus 3:46
  
  16b. Chorus: Wäre dieser nicht ein Übeltäter
3. [3] 17. Chorale: Ach, großer König 1:20
4. [4] 18a. Recitative: Da sprach Pilatus zu ihm 1:46
  
  18b. Chorus: Nicht diesen, sondern Barrabam!
  
  18c. Recitative: Barrabas aber war ein Mörder!
5. [5] 19. Arioso: Betrachte, meine Seel 2:20
6. [6] 20. Aria: Erwäge, wie sein blutgefärbter Rücken 7:31
7. [7] 21a. Recitative: Und die Kriegsknechte flochten 5:22
  
  21b. Chorus: Sei gegrüßet, lieber Judenkönig
  
  21c. Recitative: Und gaben ihm
8. [8] 22. Chorale: Durch dein Gefängnis 0:45
9. [9] 23a. Recitative: Die Jüden aber schrieen und sprachen 3:55
  
  23b. Chorus: Lässest du diesen los
  
  23c. Recitative: Da Pilatus das Wort hörete
10. [10] 24. Chorus & Aria: Eilt, ihr angefochtnen Seelen 3:57
11. [11] 25a. Recitative: Allda kreuzigten sie ihn 1:53
  
  25b. Chorus: Schreibe nicht: der Jüden König 25c. Recitative: Pilatus antwortet
5
1. [12] 26. Chorale: In meines Herzens Grunde 0:55
2. [13] 27a. Recitative: Die Kriegsknechte aber 3:23
  
  27b. Chorus: Lasset uns den nicht zerteilen
  
  27c. Recitative: Auf dass erfüllet würde
3. [14] 28. Chorale: Er nahm alles wohl in acht 1:00
4. [15] 29. Recitative: Und von Stund an 1:13
5. [16] 30. Aria: Es ist vollbracht 5:10
6. [17] 31. Recitative: Und neigte das Haupt 0:22
7. [18] 32. Chorus & Aria: Mein teurer Heiland 4:17
8. [19] 33. Recitative: Und siehe da 0:28
9. [20] 34. Aria: Mein Herz, in dem die ganze Welt 0:45
10. [21] 35. Aria: Zerfließe, mein Herze 6:46
11. [22] 36. Recitative: Die Jüden aber 1:57
12. [23] 37. Chorale: O hilf, Christe, Gottes Sohn 1:00
13. [24] 38. Recitative: Darnach bat Pilatum 1:49
14. [25] 39. Chorus: Ruht wohl, ihr heiligen Gebeine 7:19
15. [26] 40. Chorale: Ach Herr, laß dein lieb Engelein 1:43

Additional photos: Brendon Heinst

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