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 Leipzig and was first performed on 7 April 1724, at Good Friday Vespers at the St. Nicholas Church.Williams, Peter. The Life of Bach, 114. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2004.
The structure of the work falls in two halves, intended to flank a sermon. The anonymous libretto draws on existing works (notably by Barthold Heinrich Brockes) and is compiled from recitatives and choruses narrating the Passion of Christ as told in the Gospel of John, ariosos and arias reflecting on the action, and chorales using hymn tunes and texts familiar to a congregation of Bach's contemporaries.Daw, Stephen. The Music of Johann Sebastian Bach: The Choral Works, 107. Canada: Associated University Presses, Inc. 1981. Compared with the St Matthew Passion, the St John Passion has been described as more extravagant, with an expressive immediacy, at times more unbridled and less "finished".
The work is most often heard today in the 1739–1749 version (never performed during Bach's lifetime). Bach first performed the oratorio in 1724 and revised it in 1725, 1730, and 1749, adding several numbers. "", a 1725 replacement for the opening chorus, found a new home in the 1736 St Matthew Passion but several arias from the revisions are found only in the appendices to modern editions.
First performance The St John Passion was intended for the vesper service on Good Friday of 1724, shortly after Bach's 39th birthday. It was originally planned to be held at St. Thomas in Leipzig, but due to a last-minute change by the music council, it was to be first performed at St. Nicholas. Bach quickly agreed to the move, but pointed out that the booklet was already printed, that there was no room available and that the harpsichord needed some repair, all of which, however, could be attended to at little cost; but he requested that a little additional room be provided in the choir loft of St. Nicholas Church, where he planned to place the musicians needed to perform the music. He also asked that the harpsichord be repaired. The council agreed and sent a flyer announcing the new location to all the people around Leipzig. The council made the arrangements requested by Bach regarding the harpsichord and space needed for the choir.
Musical architecture and sources
The St John Passion is written for a four-part choir with soloists, as well as an instrumental ensemble of strings and basso continuo with pairs of flauti traversi and oboes, the latter both doubling on oboe da caccia. For special colors Bach also used viola d'amore and viola da gamba, instruments that were already considered old-fashioned at the time.
In present-day performances the part of Jesus is often given to one bass soloist, Pilate and the bass arias to another. The part of the Evangelist and the tenor arias are often given to two different singers. The smaller parts (Peter, Maid, Servant) are usually performed by choir members.
Bach followed chapters 18 and 19 of the Gospel of John in the Luther Bible, and the tenor Evangelist follows exactly the words of that bible. The compiler of the additional poetry is unknown. Models are the Brockes Passion and a Johannes-Passion by Christian Heinrich Postel. The first scene is in the Kidron Valley, and the second in the palace of the high priest Kaiphas. Part Two shows three scenes, one with Pontius Pilate, one at Golgatha, and the third finally at the burial site. The dramatic argument between Pilate, Jesus, and the crowd is not interrupted by reflective elements but a single central chorale.
The numbering of the movements is different in different editions. The following table uses the numbers of the Neue Bach-Ausgabe (NBA).
+Part One NBA Voices German English 1 Coro Lord, our Lord, whose glory is magnificent in all the earth 2a Evangelist, Jesus Jesus went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron 2b Coro Jesus of Nazareth 2c Evangelist, Jesus Jesus says to them 2d Coro Jesus of Nazareth 2e Evangelist, Jesus Jesus answered, I have told you that I am 3 Chorale O great love, o love beyond all measure 4 Evangelist, Jesus That the saying might be fulfilled 5 Chorale Thy will be done, Lord God, at the same time 6 Evangelist Then the band and the captain 7 Aria (alto) From the bonds of my sins 8 Evangelist And Simon Peter followed Jesus 9 Aria (soprano) I will follow you likewise with joyful steps 10 Evangelist, Maid, Peter, Jesus, Servant That disciple was known to the high priest 11 Chorale Who hit you so 12a Evangelist Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest 12b Coro Are you not one of his disciples? 12c Evangelist, Peter, Servant He denied it 13 Aria (tenor) Oh, my sense 14 Chorale Peter, who does not think back +Part Two NBA Voices German English 15 Chorale Christ, who makes us blessed 16a Evangelist, Pilate Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas into the hall of judgment 16b Coro If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him to you. 16c Evangelist, Pilate Then said Pilate to them 16d Coro We must not put any man to death. 16e Evangelist, Pilate, Jesus That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled 17 Chorale Oh great king, great at all times 18a Evangelist, Pilate, Jesus Pilate therefore said to him 18b Coro Not this man, but Barabbas! 18c Evangelist, Pilate, Jesus Now Barabbas was a murderer. 19 Arioso (bass) Look, my soul, with anxious pleasure 20 Aria (tenor) Consider how his blood-stained back 21a Evangelist And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns 21b Coro Hail, King of the Jews! 21c Evangelist, Pilate And they smote him with their hands. 21d Coro Crucify him, crucify him! 21e Evangelist, Pilate Pilate said to them 21f Coro We have a law, and by our law he ought to die 21g Evangelist, Pilate, Jesus When Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid 22 Chorale Through thy captivity, Son of God, has come to us the freedom 23a Evangelist But the Jews cried out, and said 23b Coro If you let this man go, you are not Caesar's friend 23c Evangelist, Pilate When Pilate heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth 23d Coro Away, away with him, crucify him! 23e Evangelist, Pilate Pilate says to them 23f Coro We have no king but Caesar. 23g Evangelist Then he delivered him to them to be crucified. 24 Aria (bass) Hurry, you souls 25a Evangelist There they crucified him 25b Coro Write not, The King of the Jews 25c Evangelist, Pilate Pilate answered 26 Chorale In the bottom of my heart 27a Evangelist Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments 27b Coro Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be. 27c Evangelist, Jesus That the scripture might be fulfilled 28 Chorale He was careful of everything 29 Evangelist, Jesus And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. 30 Aria (alto) It is finished! 31 Evangelist He bowed his head, and departed. 32 Aria (bass) My precious Savior, let ask you 33 Evangelist And, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two 34 Arioso (tenor) My heart, in which the whole world in Jesus' suffering likewise suffers 35 Aria (soprano) Melt, my heart, in floods of tears 36 Evangelist The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation day 37 Chorale O help, Christ, Son of God 38 Evangelist And after this Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate 39 Coro Rest well, holy bones 40 Chorale O Lord, let your dear little angels
Bach followed the Gospel of John but added two lines from the Gospel of Matthew, the account of Peter's weeping and the rending of the veil in the temple (in Version I, this second line was replaced by the line from the Gospel of Mark).
He chose the chorales: "Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du verbrochen" by Johann Heermann (1630), verse 6 for movement 3, verses 7 & 8 for 17, "Vater unser im Himmelreich" by Martin Luther (1539), verse 4 for movement 5, "" by Paul Gerhardt (1647), verses 3 & 4 for movement 11, "Jesu Leiden, Pein und Tod" by Paul Stockmann (1633), verse 10 for movement 14, verse 20 for 28, the last verse for 32, "Christus, der uns selig macht" by Michael Weiße (1531), verse 1 for movement 15, verse 8 for 37, "Valet will ich dir geben" by Valerius Herberger (1613), verse 3 for movement 26, "Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, o Herr" by Martin Schalling (1571), verse 3 for movement 40.
For the words of the aria "Ach, mein Sinn" (#13), Bach used an adaptation of a 1675 poem by Christian Weise, "Der weinende Petrus".Dreyfus, Laurence. The Triumph of 'Instrumental Melody': Aspects of Musical Poetics in Bach's St John Passion. In Melamed, Daniel R. Bach Perspectives, Volume 8: J. S. Bach and the Oratorio Tradition, 100–101. University of Illinois Press. 2011. .
For the central chorale (#22) "Durch dein Gefängnis, Gottes Sohn, muß uns die Freiheit kommen" ("Through Your prison, Son of God, must freedom come to us) Bach adapted the words of an aria from the Johannes-Passion of Christian Heinrich Postel (1700) and used the melody of "Mach's mit mir, Gott, nach deiner Güt" by Johann Hermann Schein. The architecture of Part Two shows symmetry around this movement, the music of the preceding chorus #21f "Wir haben ein Gesetz" corresponds to #23b "Lässest du diesen los", the demand #21d "Kreuzige ihn!" is repeated in an intensified way in #23d "Weg, weg mit dem, kreuzige ihn!", #21b "Sei gegrüßet, lieber Judenkönig" reappears as #25b "Schreibe nicht: der Juden König".The Passion of Saint John, BWV 245 commentary of Michael Steinberg (2004)Architecture and Sources of the St John Passion Neuer Basler Kammerchor (in German)
Versions
Researchers have discovered that Bach revised his St John Passion several times before producing a final version in the 1740s. Alternate numbers that Bach introduced in 1725 but later removed can be found in the appendix to scores of the work, such as that of the Neue Bach-Ausgabe (and heard in the recording by Emmanuel Music directed by Craig Smith, cited below).
The St John Passion was not Bach's first passion. While he was working as Konzertmeister (1714–1717) in Weimar, Bach possibly wrote a Passion, known as the Weimarer Passion, but it is now lost. Sometimes while listening to the St John Passion today one can sense an older feel to some of the music, and some scholars believe that those portions are the surviving parts of the Weimar Passion. Unlike the St Matthew Passion, to which Bach made very few and insignificant changes, the St John Passion was subject to several major revisions. The version most familiar to us today is not the original version from 1724, but rather the version of 1739–1749. In the 1724 version, the Recitative Movement No. 33 reads "Und die Vorhang im Tempel zerriß in zwei Stück; von oben an bis unten aus." (Mark 15, 33) and was in 3 measures. From 1725 on, this was replaced by the more familiar 7-measure quote from Matthew 27: 51–52 (except in the 3rd version, in which this was taken out altogether).
In 1725, Bach replaced the opening and closing choruses and added three arias (BWV 245a-c) while cutting one (Ach, mein Sinn) from the original version. The opening chorus was replaced by O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß, which was later transposed and reused at the end of part one of the St Matthew Passion. The closing chorale was replaced by a brilliant setting of "Christe, du Lamm Gottes", taken from the cantata Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn, BWV 23. The three new arias are not known to have been reused.