J.S. Bach: Johannes-Passion (Musica Sacra)

J.S. Bach: Johannes-Passion (Musica Sacra)
Composer Johann Sebastian Bach
Artist Evangelist: John Mark Ainsley tenor
Christus: Stephen Richardson bass 
Choir of King’s College, Cambridge
Brandenburg Consort
Roy Goodman consort leader
Stephen Cleobury conductor
Format 2 CD
Cat. number 93942
EAN code 5028421939421
Release July 2009

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About this release

Bach produced his St John Passion in 1724, and it was his first setting of the Passion story. The premiere of the first version took place on Good Friday in Leipzig at the Nicolaikirche. Johann Kuhnau had introduced the tradition of Passion oratorios to Leipzig a few years earlier. Bach’s work underwent several revisions right up to the late 1740s, and was performed regularly in all versions.

Bach’s Passions have an interesting history. He is credited with five, but only two survive intact, the St John and the St Matthew. The St Mark manuscript was destroyed during a bombing raid in the Second World War, although some music and the text survived, and it has been reconstructed and subsequently recorded.

Passion settings appear to have occupied Bach from early on in his career. Some of the material used in the St John Passion dates back to 1714, and it is now believed that Bach reused material from an earlier and now lost Passion. In fact, Bach’s endless revisions saw material from the St Matthew Passion being included in the St John, several Sinfonias were added, and then removed, and these in turn provide material for the many incomplete concertos in Bach’s catalogue of works. Passions are musical descriptions of the events in the life of Christ, from the entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to the Crucifixion.

Other information:
- Recorded on March 1996.
- Includes each different '1725' movement as an extra appendix.
- "There are fine contributions especially from Stephen Varcoe, and an exceptionally immediate and affecting ‘Es ist vollbracht’ from Michael Chance" (Gramophone).
- Booklet note and sung texts included.

Track list

Disk 1

  1. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes Passion BWV 245: Chorus: Herr, Unser Herrscher
  2. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes Passion BWV 245: Recitative: Jesus Ging Mit Seinen Jüngern
  3. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes Passion BWV 245: Chorale: O Große Lieb
  4. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes Passion BWV 245: Recitative: Auf Daß Das Wort Erfüllet Wurde
  5. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes Passion BWV 245: Chorale: Dein Will Gescheh, Herr Gott, Zugleich
  6. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes Passion BWV 245: Recitative: Die Schar Aber Und Der Oberhauptmann
  7. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes Passion BWV 245: Aria: (Alto): Von Der Stricken Meiner Sünden
  8. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes Passion BWV 245: Recitative: Simon Petrus Aber Folgete Jesu Nach
  9. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes Passion BWV 245: Aria (Soprano): Ich Folge Dir Gleichfalls Mit Freudigen Schritten
  10. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes Passion BWV 245: Recitative: Derselbige Jünger War Dem Hohenpriester Bekannt
  11. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes Passion BWV 245: Chorale: Wer Hat Dich So Geschlagen
  12. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes Passion BWV 245: Recitative: Und Hannas Sandre Ihn Gebunden
  13. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes Passion BWV 245: Aria (Tenor): Ach, Mein Sinn
  14. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes Passion BWV 245: Chorale: Petrus, Der Nicht Denkt Zurück
  15. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes Passion BWV 245: Chorale: Christus, Der Uns Selig Macht
  16. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes Passion BWV 245: Recitative: Da Führeten Sie Jesum
  17. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes Passion BWV 245: Chorale: Ach Großer König
  18. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes Passion BWV 245: Recitative: Da Sprach Pilatus Zu Ihm
  19. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes Passion BWV 245: Arioso (Bass): Betrachte, Meine Seele
  20. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes Passion BWV 245: Aria (Tenor): Erwäge, Wie Sein Blutgefärbter Rücken
  21. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes Passion BWV 245: Recitative: Und Die Krieggsknechte Flochten Eine Krone
  22. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes Passion BWV 245: Chorus: Durch Dein Gefängnis, Gottes Sohn
  23. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes Passion BWV 245: Recitative: Die Juden Aber Schrieen Und Sprachen
  24. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes Passion BWV 245: Aria (Bass): Eilt, Ihr Angefochten Seelen
  25. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes Passion BWV 245: Recitative: Allda Kreuzigten Sie Ihn
  26. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes Passion BWV 245: Chorale: in Meines Herzens Grunde

Disk 2

  1. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes-Passion BWV 245: Recitative: Die Kriegsknechte Aber
  2. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes-Passion BWV 245: Chorale: Er Nahm Alles Wohl in Acht
  3. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes-Passion BWV 245: Recitative: Und Von Stund An Nahm Sie Der Jünger
  4. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes-Passion BWV 245: Aria (Alto): Es Ist Volbracht!
  5. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes-Passion BWV 245: Recitative: Und Neiget Das Haupt Und Verschied
  6. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes-Passion BWV 245: Aria (Bass): Mein Teurer Heiland, Laß Dich Fragen
  7. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes-Passion BWV 245: Recitative: Und Siehe, Da, Der Vorhang Im Tempel Zerriß
  8. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes-Passion BWV 245: Arioso (Tenor): Mein Herz, in Dem Die Ganze Welt
  9. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes-Passion BWV 245: Aria (Soprano): Zerließe, Mein Herze
  10. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes-Passion BWV 245: Recitative: Die Juden Aber, Dieweill Es Der Rüsstag War
  11. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes-Passion BWV 245: Chorale: O Hilf, Christe, Gottes Sohn
  12. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes-Passion BWV 245: Recitative: Darnach Bat Pilatum Joseph Von Arimathia
  13. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes-Passion BWV 245: Chorus: Ruht Wohl, Ich Heiligen Gebeine
  14. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes-Passion BWV 245: Chorale: Ach Herr, Laß Dein Lieb Engelein
  15. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes-Passion (1725 Version): AppendIX: Chorale: O Mensch, Bewein Dein Sünde Groß
  16. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes-Passion (1725 Version): AppendIX: Aria (Bass): Himmel Reiße, Welt Erbebe
  17. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes-Passion (1725 Version): AppendIX: Aria (Tenor): Zerschmettert Mich
  18. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes-Passion (1725 Version): AppendIX: Aria (Tenor): Ach Windert Euch Nicht So
  19. Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes-Passion (1725 Version): AppendIX: Chorale: Christie , Du Lamm Gottes