Here is a superb performance of the entire St Matthew Passion, with the Choir and Orchestra of Collegium Vocale Gent, under the direction of Philipp Herreweghe.
Movements studied
Part One
1. Chorus – Kommt, ihr Töchter (Come, ye daughters)
There are two SATB choirs and a third soprano line singing a cantus firmus (ripieno). The basso continuo part mostly emphasises one note at a time, with occasional quavers. The texture is polyphonic and melismatic when choir 1 enters. Choir 2 only sing occasionally with dramatic forte chords, whilst choir 1 have a rest. Choir 2 sing questions words e.g. how, what? When choir 2 are intervening, choir 1’s texture is much more homorhythmic, and they sing the same text at the same time. The ripieno line has totally different text to what the 2 choirs are singing. After another section of mostly choir 1 with choir 2 question words, the melody lines are more evenly spread between the two choirs, and they continue to sing when the other choir has rests. At the start of the next section, the overall texture is still polyphonic, but each vocal part in each choir singing the same e.g. sop 1 and sop 2. This continues in a melismatic way on the word ‘tragen’. In the last few bars, choir 2 returns to singing question words in the choir 1 rests, and the movement finishes in a polyphonic texture.
31. Chorale – Was mein Gott will, das gscheh allzeit (O Father, let thy will be done)
Arrest of Jesus
32. Recitative – Und er kam und fand sie aber schlafend (And He came again and found them sleeping)
33. Aria – So ist mein Jesus nun gefangen (Behold, my Saviour is taken) & Chorus – Sind Blitze, sind Donner in Wolken verschwunden (Have lightnings and thunders forgotten their fury?)
The movement starts with a calm orchestral introduction, with different instruments playing different melodies, immediately creating a polyphonic texture. There is a constant feeling of continual movement, with the melodies interweaving with one another in antecedent and consequent phrases. They come together and state the main theme of movement before moving apart from one another again, making space for the soprano solo to rise above the texture. Bach hints at a fugal texture with the alto entry, imitating the soprano entry a fourth lower. “So ist mein Jesus nun gefangen” (“So now my Jesus is taken”) are the words being sung by the soloists and the use of a melismatic line on the word “taken” implies the distress and sorrow, as the melody rises and falls. However, there is a sudden change in mood when the rest of choir bursts in. The sudden interruption from the choir signifies the voices of the people, “Lasst ihn, haltet, bindet nicht!” (“Let him be, stop, do not bind him!”). The suddenness and accented chords from the choir ring out which pierces the texture, conveying a feeling of anguish and distress. It should also be noted that the soloists do not stop singing even when the choir try to interject with their entry. This could signify the impending crucifixion of Jesus and this action of sacrifice for the people’s sins has to be done. This structure continues with the choir trying to interrupt but the soloists always prevailing to continue. The duet finishes with “Sie führen ihn, er ist gebunden” (“They lead him away, he is bound.”) with a melismatic passage on the word “bound” which neatly comes together but a sudden tempo change signifies that the movement has not ended yet.
The choir is then split into two parts in this section and the basses from both choirs start off this bouncy, upbeat melody, immediately changing the tone and mood of the previous section. All the parts very quickly get exceedingly busy, including the orchestral part, all the different melodies merging together and moving as a whole unit. The tension is definitely raised when the basses start their ridiculously melismatic line which gradually builds up in pitch as well as in dynamic. Bach switches idea and implements an antiphonal effect where the first choir sings on the first and second beat and the second choir sings on the second and the third beat before reverting back to the melismatic increasing tension idea for four bars. The whole ensemble comes to a halt at this point, letting the power of the sound echo into space, allowing the reverb to completely take effect. This is very effective and the fact that it ends on a question, “Sind Blitze, sind Donner in Wolken verschwunden?” (Have thunder and lightning vanished in the clouds?”) mean that the effect is particularly effective. The orchestra start off again normally, seemingly oblivious to what has just happened. The texture changes here, the first choir sings long sustained notes while the second choir keeps the beat going with its hard-hitting quavers and then they switch parts. Bach brings back the antiphonal effect before coming to a conclusion where the whole choir finally comes together in an epic homorhythmic ending. BOOM.
34. Recitative – Und siehe, einer aus denen (And behold, one of the disciples)
35. Chorale Fantasia – O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß (O man, thy heavy sin lament)
Part Two
Peter’s denial
45. Recitative – Petrus aber saß draußen im Palast (Simon Peter sat outside the court)
46. Chorus + Recitative – Wahrlich, du bist auch einer von denen (Surely thou also art one of them)
47. Aria – Erbarme dich (Have mercy, Lord)
Erbarme dich,
Mein Gott, um meiner Zähren willen!
Schaue hier,
Herz und Auge weint vor dir
Bitterlich.
Have mercy,
My God, for my tears, sake;
Look hither,
Heart and eyes weep before thee
Bitterly.
The mood of the music summarises the name of this movement (‘Have Mercy’) very well. The sense of tone given out is very mournful and bleak, Bach creates this impression by not just his use of text and sorrowful lyrics but also by the way in which he has the accompanying instruments interweave with the choir. This movement is accompanied by a solo violin (violin obbligato), which is well ornamented with frequent trills. When the alto comes in, the violin part drops down to pp and there is often a sustained note sung by the alto voice whilst movement from underneath from the violin part. The voice part frequently uses melisma (when one syllable is sung over various notes and for more than one beat of the music in a sustained breath). There is a long pause where only the violin plays after the alto has sung “My God, for my tears, sake;” and before they re-enter with “Look hither” which creates more emphasis on the lyrics which have been sung as the listeners have time to reflect on what has been said. The Aria finishes with the lyrics “My God for my tears, sake’” interestingly as you would expect the emphasis to be on the title and most well-known line of the movement ‘erbarme dich’ meaning “Have mercy”. Once the last vocal line has been sung by the alto voice, the accompaniment then plays a coda which is the introduction section and the coda finishes with fine on the paused note just one and a half crotchet beats before the voice part would be re-entering.
USEFUL LINKS
- Here is a great recording played by a cornet and accompanying organ; it has a very different feel to it than with a vocal alto line
- This is a more expected vocal and violin solo version sung by the contralto Eula Beal (very operatic singing)
48. Chorale – Bin ich gleich von dir gewichen (Lamb of God, I fall before thee)
Judas in the temple
49. Recitative + Chorus – Des Morgens aber hielten alle Hohepriester (Now when the morning came)
50. Recitative – Und er warf die Silberlinge in den Tempel (And he cast the silver pieces down)
51. Aria – Gebt mir meinen Jesum wieder (Give me back my Saviour)
Jesus before Pilate
52. Recitative – Sie schrieen aber noch mehr (But they all cried out the more)
53. Chorale – Befiehl du deine Wege (Commit thy way to Jesus)
54. Recitative + Chorus – Auf des Fest aber hatte der Landpfleger Gewohnheit (Now at that feast)
55. Chorale – Wie wunderbarlich ist doch diese Strafe! (O wondrous love, this sacrifice to offer)
56. Recitative – Der Landpfleger sagte (The Governor answered)
57. Arioso – Er hat uns allen wohlgetan (To all men Jesus good hath done)
58. Aria – Aus Liebe (For love)
Crucifixion (ending)
71. Recitative + Chorus – Und von der sechsten Stunde (Now from the sixth hour onward)
72. Chorale – Wenn ich einmal soll scheiden (Be near me, Lord, when dying)
Descent from the cross
73. Recitative + Chorus – Und siehe da, der Vorhang im Tempel zerriß in zwei Stück (And then behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain)
74. Arioso – Am abend, da es kühle war (At evening, hour of calm and rest)
75. Aria – Mache dich, mein Herze rein (Make thee clean from sin, my heart)
Burial
76. Recitative + Chorus – Und Joseph nahm den Leib (And Joseph took the body)
77. Recitative + Chorus – Nun ist der Herr zur Ruh gebracht (And now the Lord to rest is laid)
78. Chorus – Wir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder (We bow our heads)
