Native Name: | Passio Domini Nostri J.C. Secundum Evangelistam Matthaeum |
Native Name Lang: | la |
St Matthew Passion | |
Bwv: | 244 |
Related: | BWV 244a |
Type: | Passion |
Occasion: | Good Friday |
Movements: | 68 in two parts (29 + 39) |
Text: | Picander |
Chorale: | |
Vocal: |
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Instrumental: | Two orchestras, each of |
Johann Sebastian Bach's St Matthew Passion (German: Matthäuspassion),, is structured on multiple levels: the composition is structured in three levels of text sources (Gospel, libretto and chorales) and by the different forms that are used for musical expression (arias, recitatives and choruses).
Bach's large choral composition was written to present the Passion of Jesus, as told in the Gospel of Matthew, in a vespers service on Good Friday. It is composed in two parts, that were to be performed before and after the sermon of that service. Part I covers the events until the arrest of Jesus and Part II concludes with his burial and the sealing of his grave.
Bach took the Gospel text for the composition from Martin Luther's German translation of and . Contemporary poetry in Picander's libretto and chorales comment on the Bible text and open and close most scenes of the narration.
Bach did not number the sections of the St Matthew Passion but twentieth-century scholars have done so. The Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV, Bach Works Catalog) divides the work into 78 numbers (vocal movements), while the Neue Bach-Ausgabe (NBA, New Bach Edition) divides the piece into 68 movements. Both use lettered subsections in some cases.[1] [2] Movement numbers in this article follow the NBA scheme, except for the table with the movements that cross-references both numbering systems.
The text is taken from three sources: the biblical texts, contemporary poetry by Picander and chorales.
The St Matthew Passion can be divided in scenes or "stations" that follow the dramatic action of the Gospel account in different locations. Whatever the chosen scene division (none of them indicated by the composer in the score), scenes end on an aria, a chorus, or in the midst of a Gospel text section. In the latter case the ending of the scene would usually be on a turba chorus, such as German: [[#63b|Wahrlich, dieser ist Gottes Sohn gewesen]] ending the scene where Jesus dies at the cross.
New scenes begin with Gospel text sung by the Evangelist, except the first scene of each of the two parts of the composition. In other words, except for the chorus and aria that open Part One and Part Two, chorales and arias are a meditation after the narration of the action in the sung Gospel text.
NBA | 16 scenes | Archiv[3] |
---|---|---|
Part I | ||
1–4a | 1. "The chief priests seek to destroy Jesus" | Anointing in Bethany |
4b–6 | 2. "Jesus is anointed with precious ointment" | |
7–8 | 3. "Judas plans the betrayal of Christ" | The Lord's Supper |
9a–11 | 4. "The disciples prepare the Passover meal" | |
12–13 | 5. "The Last Supper" | |
14–17 | 6. "The Agony in the Garden" | |
18–25 | In Gethsemane | |
26–29 | 7. "The arrest of Jesus" | |
Part II | ||
30–35 | 8. "The hearing before high priest Caiaphas" | False Witness |
36–37 | Interrogation by Caiaphas and Pilate | |
38–40 | 9. "Peter's denial of Christ, and his remorse" | |
41–44 | 10. "Judas' repentance and death" | |
45–52 | 11. "The trial before Pontius Pilate" | Jesus' Delivery and Flagellation |
53–54 | 12. "Soldiers crown Jesus with thorns, mocking him" | |
55–60 | 13. "Crucifixion" | Crucifixion |
61–63b | 14. "Death of Jesus, followed by an earthquake" | |
63c–66a | 15. "Descent from the Cross; Christ's burial" | The Interment |
66b–68 | 16. "Chief priests demand the tomb be sealed" |
Christian Friedrich Henrici (Picander), who collaborated with Bach, wrote text for recitatives and arias, and for the large scale choral movements that open and close the Passion. Other libretto sections came from publications by Salomo Franck and Barthold Heinrich Brockes.
Scenes can be opened and closed by arias: No. 6 German: Buß und Reu, an aria for alto, concludes the scene at Bethany. Part II opens with an aria, German: [[#30|Ach! nun ist mein Jesus hin!]].
The oldest chorale chosen for the Passion dates from 1525. Bach used the hymns in different ways, most are four-part setting, two are the Latin: [[cantus firmus]] of the two chorale fantasias framing Part I, one as a commenting element in a tenor recitative.
Three of the texts Bach used for chorale settings are written by Paul Gerhardt. Bach included five stanzas of his "German: [[O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden]]|italic=no" in the Passion, and he uses the first two stanzas of the poem to conclude the Flagellation scene.
The work is composed for double choir, double orchestra, and vocal soloists. The choirs are abbreviated Ch I and Ch II, individual voice parts as S (soprano), A (alto), T (tenor), and B (bass). Both choirs are four-part, SATB. The orchestra consists of woodwinds, strings, and basso continuo (Bc). Woodwinds are recorders, flauto traverso (transverse flute) (Ft), oboe (Ob), oboe d'amore (Oa), and oboe da caccia (Oc). Strings are violin (Vn), solo violin (Vs), viola (Va), lute (Lt), and viola da gamba (Vg). Continuo are violoncello, double bass, bassoon, and organ.
The Bible story is told by the Evangelist (Ev) in secco recitative, and by the characters that have direct speech in the narrative. The speech of Jesus sings in accompagnato recitative, except at the beginning of No. 61a where Jesus utters his last words "Eli, Eli, lama, lama asabthani" in recitative secco (see facsimile image on the right). The speech of other persons, called soliloquents, is also set as secco recitative. Soliloquents are Judas (B), Peter (B), two witnesses (A T), two high priests (B), two maids (S), Pilate (B), and his wife (S). The speech of groups such as the disciples and the crowd, are expressed in turba choruses.
Reflecting thoughts on contemporary poetry appear as sequence of recitatives (rec) and arias, sometimes just the latter, and in choral movements. Most chorales are four-part settings. Several movements use a combination of forms, such as an aria with chorale, a chorale fantasia, a chorus with a chorale as a cantus firmus. Chorales were performed by both groups combined, with each voice type in unison. Movement 63b, German: Wahrlich, dieser ist Gottes Sohn gewesen (Truly, this man was God's own Son most truly), is treated the same way. Part I ends with a chorale fantasia that is based on the opening chorus of the St John Passion in its second version, also performed by both choirs in unison, whereas the opening chorus is for double choir with the chorale "German: [[O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig]]|italic=no" as the cantus firmus, which was originally played, later sung. The closing chorus is in da capo form for two choirs.
Column 1 of the table is the movement number in the Neue Bach-Ausgabe; column 2 is this number in the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis. The last column shows the incipit, the first measures of each movement with text.
NBA | BWV | Gospel | Ch II | Key | Time | Beginning of text | Source | Incipit | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | Chorale S | Ch I | Ch II | E minor | 2Vn Va Bc | German: Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen|italic=no + chorale German: O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig|italic=no as cantus firmus | Picander + Nicolaus Decius | |||
2 | 2 | Ev, Jesus | G major → B minor | 2Vn Va Bc | German: Da Jesus diese Rede vollendet hatte|italic=no | Mt 26:1–2 | |||||
3 | 3 | Chorale | B minor | 2Ft 2Ob 2Vn Va Bc | German: Herzliebster Jesu|italic=no | Johann Heermann | |||||
4a | 4 | Ev | D major → C major | Bc | German: Da versammleten sich die Hohenpriester|italic=no | Mt 26:3–4 | |||||
4b | 5 | Ch I | Ch II | C major | 2Ft 2Ob 2Vn Va Bc | German: Ja nicht auf das Fest|italic=no | Mt 26:5 | ||||
4c | 6 | Ev | C major → A minor | Bc | German: Da nun Jesus war zu Bethanien|italic=no | Mt 26:6–8a | |||||
4d | 7 | Ch I | A minor → D minor | 2Ft 2Ob 2Vn Va Bc | German: Wozu dienet dieser Unrat|italic=no | Mt 26:8b–9 | |||||
4e | 8 | Ev, Jesus | B major → E minor | 2Vn Va Bc | German: Da das Jesus merkete|italic=no | Mt 26:10–13 | |||||
5 | 9 | Rec A | B minor → F minor | 2Ft Bc | German: Du lieber Heiland du|italic=no | Salomo Franck | |||||
6 | 10 | Aria A | F minor | 2Ft Bc | German: Buß und Reu|italic=no | Picander | |||||
7 | 11 | Ev, Judas | D major → B minor | Bc | German: Da ging hin der Zwölfen einer|italic=no | Mt 26:14–16 | |||||
8 | 12 | Aria S | B minor | 2Ft 2Vn Va Bc | German: Blute nur, du liebes Herz!|italic=no | Picander | |||||
9a | 13 | Ev | G major | Bc | German: Aber am ersten Tage der süßen Brot|italic=no | Mt 26:17a | |||||
9b | 14 | Ch I | G major | 2Ft 2Ob 2Vn Va Bc | German: Wo willst du, daß wir dir bereiten|italic=no | Mt 26:17b | |||||
9c | 15 | Ev, Jesus | G major → C major | 2Vn Va Bc | German: Er sprach: Gehet hin in die Stadt|italic=no | Mt 26:18–21 | |||||
9d | Ev | B minor → F minor | Bc | German: Und sie wurden sehr betrübt|italic=no | Mt 26:22a | ||||||
9e | Ch I | F minor → C minor | 2Ft 2Ob 2Vn Va Bc | German: Herr, bin ich's?|italic=no | Mt 26:22b | ||||||
10 | 16 | Chorale | A major | 2Ob 2Vn Va Bc | German: Ich bin's, ich sollte büßen|italic=no | Paul Gerhardt | |||||
11 | 17 | Ev, Jesus, Judas | F minor → G major | – | 2Vn Va Bc | German: Er antwortete und sprach|italic=no | Mt 26:23–29 | ||||
12 | 18 | Rec S | E minor → C major | 2Oa Bc | German: Wiewohl mein Herz in Tränen schwimmt|italic=no | Picander | |||||
13 | 19 | Aria S | G major | 2Oa Bc | German: Ich will dir mein Herze schenken|italic=no | Picander | |||||
14 | 20 | Ev, Jesus | B minor → E major | 2Vn Va Bc | German: Und da sie den Lobgesang gesprochen hatten|italic=no | Mt 26:30–32 | |||||
15 | 21 | Chorale | E major | 2Ft 2Ob 2Vn Va Bc | German: Erkenne mich, mein Hüter|italic=no | Paul Gerhardt | |||||
16 | 22 | Ev, Jesus, Peter | A major → G minor | 2Vn Va Bc | German: Petrus aber antwortete|italic=no | Mt 26:33–35 | |||||
17 | 23 | Chorale | E major | 2Ob 2Vn Va Bc | German: Ich will hier bei dir stehen|italic=no | Paul Gerhardt | |||||
18 | 24 | Ev, Jesus | F major | 2Vn Va Bc | German: Da kam Jesus mit ihnen zu einem Hofe|italic=no | Mt 26:36–38 | |||||
19 | 25 | Rec T | Ch II Chorale | F minor → G major | 2Fl 2Oc 2Vn Va Bc | German: O Schmerz! Hier zittert das gequälte Herz|italic=no | Picander + Johann Heermann | ||||
20 | 26 | Aria T | Ch II | C minor | 2Ft Ob 2Vn Va Bc | German: Ich will bei meinem Jesu wachen|italic=no | Picander | ||||
21 | 27 | Ev, Jesus | B major → G minor | 2Vn Va Bc | German: Und ging hin ein wenig|italic=no | Mt 26:39 | |||||
22 | 28 | Rec B | D minor → B major | 2Vn Va Bc | German: Der Heiland fällt vor seinem Vater nieder|italic=no | Picander | |||||
23 | 29 | Aria B | G minor | 2Vn Bc | German: Gerne will ich mich bequemen|italic=no | Picander | |||||
24 | 30 | Ev, Jesus | F major → B minor | 2Vn Va Bc | German: Und er kam zu seinen Jüngern|italic=no | Mt 26:40–42 | |||||
25 | 31 | Chorale | B minor | 2Ft 2Ob 2Vn Va Bc | German: Was mein Gott will, das g'scheh allzeit|italic=no | Albert, Duke of Prussia | |||||
26 | 32 | Ev, Jesus, Judas | D major → G major | 2Vn Va Bc | German: Und er kam und fand sie aber schlafend|italic=no | Mt 26:43–50 | |||||
27a | 33 | Aria S A | Ch II | E minor | 2Ft 2Ob 2Vn Va Bc | German: So ist mein Jesus nun gefangen|italic=no | Picander | ||||
27b | Ch I | Ch II | E minor | 2Ft 2Ob 2Vn Va Bc | German: Sind Blitze, sind Donner in Wolken verschwunden?|italic=no | Barthold Heinrich Brockes | |||||
28 | 34 | Ev, Jesus | F major → C minor | 2Vn Va Bc | German: Und siehe, einer aus denen|italic=no | Mt 26:51–56 | |||||
29 | 35 | Chorale fantasia | E major | 2Ft 2Oa 2Vn Va Bc | German: O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß|italic=no | Sebald Heyden |