The St Matthew Passion (German: Matthäuspassion), BWV 244, is a musical composition written by Johann Sebastian Bach for solo voices, double choir and double orchestra, with libretto by Picander (Christian Friedrich Henrici). It sets chapters 26 and 27 of the Gospel of Matthew to music, with interspersed chorales and arias. Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (Bach Works Catalogue) is the numbering system used to identify musical works by Johann Sebastian Bach. ... “Bach” redirects here. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For the song titled Orchestra, see The Servant (band). ... Antonio Ghislanzoni, nineteenth century Italian librettist. ... Picander was the pseudonym of Christian Friedrich Henrici (January 14, 1700 - May 10, 1764), German poet and librettist for many of Johann Sebastian Bachs Leipzig cantatas. ... Matthew 26 is the 26th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, part of the New Testament. ... Matthew Chapter 27 is part of the Gospel of Matthew, in the New Testament. ... The Gospel of Matthew (literally, according to Matthew; Greek, Κατά Μαθθαίον or Κατά Ματθαίον, Kata Maththaion or Kata Matthaion) is a synoptic gospel in the New Testament, one of four canonical gospels. ... A chorale was originally a hymn of the Lutheran church sung by the entire congregation. ... An aria (Italian for air; plural: arie or arias in common usage) in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. ...

History

Bach's St. Matthew Passion was written in 1727. Only two of the four (or five) settings of the Passion which Bach wrote have survived; the other is the St. John Passion. The St. Matthew Passion was probably first performed on Good Friday 1727^[1] in the Thomaskirche in Leipzig, where Bach was the Kapellmeister. He revised it by 1736, performing it again on March 30, 1736, this time including two organs in the instrumentation. The Passion is the theological term used for the suffering, both physical and mental, of Jesus in the hours prior to and including his trial and execution by crucifixion. ... St. ... Good Friday is the Friday before Easter (Easter always falls on a Sunday). ... The Thomaskirche in Leipzig The Thomaskirche (St. ... Leipzig ( ; Sorbian/Lusatian: Lipsk from the Sorbian word for Tilia) is, with a population of over 506,000, the largest city in the federal state of Saxony, Germany. ... A Kapellmeister is nowadays the director or conductor of an orchestra or choir. ... Organ in Katharinenkirche, Frankfurt am Main, Germany The organ is a keyboard instrument played using one or more manuals and a pedalboard. ...

The St. Matthew Passion was not heard outside of Leipzig until 1829, when Felix Mendelssohn performed an abbreviated version of it in Berlin to great acclaim. Mendelssohn's revival of the St. Matthew Passion brought the music of Bach, particularly the large-scale works, to a public and scholarly attention that has persisted into the present era. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1829 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, born and known generally as Felix Mendelssohn (February 3, 1809 – November 4, 1847) was a German composer and conductor of the early Romantic period. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ...

Structure

Many composers wrote musical settings of the Passion in the late 17th century. Like other Baroque oratorio passions, Bach's setting presents the Biblical text of Matthew 26-27 in a relatively simple way, primarily using recitative, while aria and arioso movements set newly-written poetic texts which comment on the various events in the Biblical narrative and present the characters' state of mind in a lyrical, monologue-like manner. Look up passion in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... An oratorio is a large musical composition for orchestra, vocal soloists and chorus. ... The Bible (From Greek βιβλια—biblia, meaning books, which in turn is derived from βυβλος—byblos meaning papyrus, from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos which exported papyrus) is the sacred scripture of Christianity. ... Recitative, a form of composition often used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas (and occasionally in operettas and even musicals), is melodic speech set to music, or a descriptive narrative song in which the music follows the words. ... An aria (Italian for air; plural: arie or arias in common usage) in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. ... Below is a list of terms used in musical terminology which are likely to occur on printed or sheet music. ...

Two distinctive aspects of Bach's setting spring from his other church endeavors. One is the double-choir format, which stems from his own double-choir motets and the many such motets from other composers with which he routinely started Sunday services. The other is the extensive use of chorales, which appear in standard four-part settings, as interpolations in arias, and as a cantus firmus in large polyphonic movements, notably “O Mensch, bewein dein’ Sünde groß,” the conclusion of the first half—a movement this work has in common with his St John Passion—and the opening coro, Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir Klagen, in which the soprano in ripieno crowns a colossal buildup of polyphonic and harmonic tension, singing a verse of the chorale O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig. In Western music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions. ... A chorale was originally a hymn of the Lutheran church sung by the entire congregation. ... In music, a cantus firmus (fixed song) is a pre-existing melody forming the basis of a polyphonic composition, often set apart by being played in long notes. ... St. ... In music, the word texture is often used in a rather vague way in reference to the overall sound of a piece of music. ... Harmony is the use and study of pitch simultaneity, and therefore chords, actual or implied, in music. ...

The surviving manuscripts consist of eight concertato scores, used for eight soloists who also served in the two choirs, a few extra "bit parts", and a part for the soprano in ripieno. Unlike Bach's Johannespassion, where parts are extant for ripieno doubling on the choruses, there is little evidence that additional singers beyond the soloists were used in the "choirs". A manuscript (Latin manu scriptus, written by hand), strictly speaking, is any written document that is put down by hand, in contrast to being printed or reproduced some other way. ... Johannespassion (English: St. ...

The narration of the Gospel texts are sung by the tenor Evangelist in secco recitative accompanied only by continuo. Soloists sing the words of various characters, also in recitative; in addition to Jesus, there are named parts for Judas, Peter, a high priest, Pontius Pilate, Pilate's wife, and two ancillae (maids), although these are not always sung by all different soloists. These "character" soloists are also often assigned arias and sing with the choirs, a practice not always followed by modern performances. Two duets are sung by a pair of soloists representing two simultaneous speakers, and a number of passages for several speakers, called turba (or crowd) parts, are sung by one of the two choirs. The turba passages are not recitative but are conventional metric music. This article is about Tenor vocalists in music. ... Recitative, a form of composition often used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas (and occasionally in operettas and even musicals), is melodic speech set to music, or a descriptive narrative song in which the music follows the words. ... Figured bass, or thoroughbass, is a kind of integer musical notation used to indicate intervallic content (the intervals which make up a sonority), later chords, in relation to a bass note. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      For other... “St Peter” redirects here. ... Ecce Homo (Behold the Man!), Antonio Ciseris depiction of Pontius Pilate presenting a scourged Jesus to the people of Jerusalem. ... Turba literally means crowd in Latin. ...

Jesus' recitatives are particularly distinctive in that they are always accompanied not only by continuo but by the entire string section of the first orchestra using long, sustained notes, thus creating an effect often referred to as Jesus's "halo". Only his final words, Eli, eli, lama asabthani (Hebrew: "My god, my god, why have you forsaken me?"), are sung without this "halo".

Interpolated texts

The arias, set to texts by Picander, are interspersed between sections of the Gospel text, and are sung by soloists with a variety of instrumental accompaniments, typical of the oratorio style. Picander was the pseudonym of Christian Friedrich Henrici (January 14, 1700 - May 10, 1764), German poet and librettist for many of Johann Sebastian Bachs Leipzig cantatas. ...

The interpolated texts theologically and personally interpret the Gospel texts. Many of them highlight Jesus’ suffering, such as the chorale “Ich bin’s, ich sollte büßen” (“It is I who should suffer and be bound for hell”), the alto aria “Buß und Reu” (portraying a desire to anoint Jesus with her tears), and the bass aria “Mache dich, mein Herze, rein” (his offer to bury Jesus himself). Jesus is often referred to as “my Jesus.” The chorus alternates between participating in the narrative and commenting on it as outside observers.

As is typical of settings of the Passion, there is no mention of the Resurrection in any of these texts. Following in the footsteps of Anselm of Canterbury, the crucifixion itself is the endpoint and the source of redemption; the emphasis is on the suffering of Jesus. The chorus sings, “tear me from my fears / Through your own fear and pain.” The bass, calling it the “sweet cross,” says “Yes, of course this flesh and blood in us / want to be forced to the cross; / the better it is for our soul, / the more bitter it feels.“ The resurrection of Jesus is an event in the New Testament in which God raised him from the dead[1] after his death by crucifixion. ... Saint Anselm of Canterbury (1033 or 1034 – April 21, 1109) was an Italian medieval philosopher and theologian, who held the office of Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109. ...

The “O Lamm Gottes” chorale compares Jesus' crucifixion to the ritual sacrifice of an Old Testament lamb, as an offering for sin. This theme is reinforced by the concluding chorale of the first half, “O Mensch, bewein dein’ Sünde groß” (“O man, bewail your great sin”). Note: Judaism commonly uses the term Tanakh to refer to its canon, which corresponds to the Protestant Old Testament. ...

Compositional style

Bach’s recitatives often set the mood for the particular passages by highlighting emotionally charged words such as “crucify,” “kill,” or “mourn” with chromatic melodies. Diminished seventh chords and sudden modulations accompany Jesus's apocalyptic prophecies. Generally speaking, a diminished chord is a chord which has a diminished fifth in it. ... In music, modulation is most commonly the act or process of changing from one key (tonic, or tonal center) to another. ...

In the turba parts, the two choruses sometimes alternate in cori spezzati style (e.g. “Weissage uns, Christe”) and sometimes sing together (“Herr, wir haben gedacht”); other times only one chorus sings (chorus I always takes the parts of the disciples) or alternating, for example when “some bystanders” say “He’s calling for Elijah” and “others” say “Wait to see if Elijah comes to help him.” The Venetian polychoral style was a type of music of the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras which involved spatially separate choirs singing in alternation. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      For other...

In the arias, obbligato instruments are equal partners with the voices, as was customary in late Baroque arias. Bach often uses madrigalisms, as in “Buß und Reu,” where the flutes start playing a raindrop-like staccato as the alto sings of drops of her tears falling. In “Blute nur,” the line about the serpent is set with a twisting melody. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... A madrigal is a setting for two or more voices of a secular text, often in Italian. ... In musical notation, the Italian word staccato (literally detached, plural staccatos or staccati) indicates that notes are sounded in a detached and distinctly separate manner, with silence making up the latter part of the time allocated to each note. ...

The Matthäuspassion in movies

• The Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky revered Bach, and was, as he wrote in his diaries, particularly moved by the artistry and pathos of the St. Matthew Passion. A recitative from it is used in the The Mirror and "Erbarme dich" aria accompanies the opening credits of his last film, The Sacrifice, which appear against a full-screen detail from Leonardo da Vinci's Adoration of the Magi.

• In 1995, the St. Matthew Passion, as performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, was featured as both the opening and closing music for the film Casino.

• The closing chorus of act 1 is used several times in the film Demolition Man.

• The final scene of THX 1138 uses music from the first movement of the St. Matthew Passion.

• In the film Kingdom of Heaven, the scene in which Reynald de Chatillon is killed is set to "O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden" from The Saint Matthew Passion.

• The No. 68 Chorus I/II (“Wir setzen uns mit …”) serves as the opening theme to Martin Scorsese's film Casino, over a montage of casino lights.

• Pier Paolo Pasolini used The Saint Matthew Passion in the score for his 1964 film Il Vangelo secondo Matteo also known as The Gospel According to St. Matthew. Pasolini also used this music in his earlier film Accattone.^[2]

• It is used (Along with other Bach's compositions) in Je vous salue, Marie (1985) a film by Jean-Luc Godard.

• A version of the movement Erbarme dich in The Saint Matthew Passion, named O Perdão (The Forgiveness), adapted by Marco Antônio Guimarães, is used in the end of Lavoura Arcaica.

• The bass aria Mache dich mein Herze rein, as sung by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau in the 1958 Karl Richter recording, is used in the film The Talented Mr. Ripley

• "Erbarme Dich, mein Gott" is used in the Czech film Musíme si pomáhat (Divided we Fall, 2000), directed by Jan Hřebejk, which deals with how the "small man" copes with oppression under totalitarian regimes such as Nazism and communism. The film argues, slightly tongue-in-cheek, that oppression under such regimes is so lethal that we have no moral right to judge what people did under the circumstances. There is a powerful, final sequence, in which the main character, Mr. Cizek (a kind of Czech Everyman) walks in May 1945, during the chaotic and brutal final days of the Second World War, with his newly born "son" through a street full of debris from destroyed tenements in the middle of which a number of characters, previously killed during the convoluted story of Nazi oppression, are sitting at a table. This final sequence is accompanied by Bach's aria "Have mercy, God, on our frailty!" and makes the conclusion of the film rather impressive, turns it into a plea for God's mercy over human insufficiencies.
• Featured in the 2005 Tony Scott film Domino.

• The start of the Battle of Algiers 1966 Gillo Pontecorvo.

“Tarkovsky” redirects here. ... The Mirror, also known as Mirror or Zerkalo (Russian: Зеркало), is a 1975 Mosfilms movie by Andrei Tarkovsky, which has spawned a cult following among Soviet intellectuals. ... The film The Sacrifice (Offret) by Andrei Tarkovsky, (Sweden, 1986) was filmed when Tarkovsky knew that he was dying of cancer and it can be seen as his testament, as it recaptures motives used in several of his previous films. ... “Da Vinci” redirects here. ... The Adoration of the Magi (2007) is an early painting by Leonardo da Vinci. ... The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, based in Chicago, Illinois, is one of the leading orchestras in the world. ... Casino is a 1995 film directed by Martin Scorsese, based on the book of the same name by Nicholas Pileggi and Larry Shandling. ... Demolition Man may refer to: Demolition Man (film), a 1993 film from Warner Brothers starring Sylvester Stallone Demolition Man (album), Stings soundtrack EP for the 1993 film Demolition Man, (band) A Tribute to the Music of The POLICE (Sting; Andy Summers; Stewart Copeland) Demolition Man (pinball), a pinball machine... THX 1138 was George Lucas first full length movie. ... Kingdom of Heaven is a 2005 epic film, directed and produced by Ridley Scott, and written by William Monahan. ... Raynald of Châtillon (also Reynald or Reginald of Chastillon) (died July 4, 1187) was a knight who served in the Second Crusade and remained in the Holy Land after its defeat. ... Martin Marcantonio Luciano Scorsese (IPA: AmE: ; Ita: []) (born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, writer and producer and founder of the World Cinema Foundation. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Pier Paolo Pasolini (March 5, 1922 – November 2, 1975) was an Italian poet, intellectual, film director, and writer. ... Il Vangelo secondo Matteo is a 1964 Italian film directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini. ... Il Vangelo secondo Matteo is a 1964 Italian film directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini. ... Accattone is 1961 Italian film written and directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini. ... Jean-Luc Godard (French IPA: ) (born 3 December 1930) is a French filmmaker and one of the most influential members of the Nouvelle Vague, or French New Wave. Born to Franco-Swiss parents in Paris, he was educated in Nyon, Switzerland, later studying at the Lycée Rohmer, and the... Lavoura Arcaica poster Lavoura Arcaica (To the left of the father as known in English speaking market) is a 2001 poetical Brazilian movie, directed by Luiz Fernando Carvalho, based on the homonym novel by Raduan Nassar. ... The German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (born May 28, 1925) is regarded by many as the finest Lieder singer of his generation, if not of the last century. ... The Talented Mr. ... Jan HÅ™ebejk was born in 27. ... See also Tony Scott for the American clarinet jazz musician. ... Domino is a 2005 American film inspired by the story of Domino Harvey, the English daughter of stage and screen actor Laurence Harvey, who became a bounty hunter working in Los Angeles . ... Gillo Pontecorvo (November 19, 1919 — October 12, 2006) was an Italian filmmaker, best known for La battaglia di Algeri (The Battle of Algiers), but directed several movies before its release in 1966, such as the drama Kapò (1960), which takes place in a World War II concentration camp. ...

Notable recordings

On modern instruments

• Karl Richter, cond. Archiv Produktion, 1959.

Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Chorknaben, Münchener Bach-Orchester.

Soloists: Ernst Haefliger, Keith Engen, Irmgard Seefried, Antonia Fahberg, Hertha Topper, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Max Proebstl

• Otto Klemperer, cond. EMI, 1962

Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus

Soloists: Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Christa Ludwig, Peter Pears, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Heather Harper, Geraint Evans, Walter Berry

• Leonard Bernstein, cond. Columbia Masterworks Records, 1962, later re-released on Sony Masterworks. Slightly abridged and sung in English

New York Philharmonic, Collegiate Chorale

Soloists, Adele Addison, William Wildermann, David Lloyd, Charles Bressler, Donaldson Bell, Betty Allen

• Sir Georg Solti, cond. Decca Records, 1988.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.

Soloists: Kiri Te Kanawa, Anne-Sofie von Otter, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Tom Krause, Hans Peter Blochwitz, Olaf Bär

Karl Richter (October 15, 1926 – February 15, 1981) was a German conductor, organist, and harpsichordist. ... Deutsche Grammophon is a German classical record label. ... The German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (born May 28, 1925) is regarded by many as the finest Lieder singer of his generation, if not of the last century. ... Otto Klemperer (May 14, 1885 – July 6, 1973) was a German-born conductor and composer. ... For other uses, see EMI (disambiguation). ... The Philharmonia is an orchestra based in London. ... Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf DBE (b. ... Christa Ludwig (born March 16, 1928) is a distinguished German mezzo-soprano, known both for her opera performances and her singing of Lieder. ... Sir Peter Neville Luard Pears (June 22, 1910 – April 3, 1986) was an English tenor and life-long partner of the composer Benjamin Britten. ... The German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (born May 28, 1925) is regarded by many as the finest Lieder singer of his generation, if not of the last century. ... Heather Harper (born May 8, 1930) is an Irish operatic soprano. ... The Welsh baritone Geraint Llewellyn Evans (16 February 1922 – 19 September 1992) was a well-known opera singer, noted for such roles as Papageno in The Magic Flute, Falstaff, and title-role of Wozzeck, among others. ... Walter Berry (April 8, 1929 - October 27, 2000) was an Austrian bass-baritone. ... Leonard Bernstein in 1971 Leonard Bernstein (IPA pronunciation: )[1] (August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, and pianist. ... Columbia Masterworks Records is a subsidiary of Columbia Records. ... The New York Philharmonic is the oldest active symphony orchestra in the United States, organized during 1842. ... The Collegiate Chorale is a symphonic choir in New York City. ... Categories: Musician stubs | 1925 births | Sopranos ... David George Lloyd (April 6, 1912-March 27, 1969) was a Welsh soloist. ... Charles Bressler (born April 1, 1926) is an American tenor. ... Sir Georg Solti (October 21, 1912 - September 5, 1997) was a well-known orchestral and operatic conductor, who was still actively engaged in performing right up until his death. ... It has been suggested that Decca Music Group be merged into this article or section. ... The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, based in Chicago, Illinois, is one of the leading orchestras in the world. ... Dame Kiri Janette Te Kanawa IPA: , ONZ, AC, DBE, (born March 6, 1944) is an internationally famous New Zealand opera singer. ... The Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne-Sofie von Otter (born 9 May 1955) well-known opera singer and concert recitalist. ... Anthony Rolfe Johnson (born November 5, 1940) is an English tenor singer. ... Olaf Bär (born 1957 in Dresden) is a German operatic baritone. ...

On period instruments

• Philippe Herreweghe, cond. Harmonia Mundi France, 1985.

La Chapelle Royale, Collegium Vocale Gent

Soloists: Howard Crook, Ulrik Cold, Barbara Schlick, René Jacobs, Hans-Peter Blochwitz, Peter Kooy

• John Eliot Gardiner, cond. Archiv Produktion, 1989.

English Baroque Soloists, Monteverdi Choir

Soloists: Barbara Bonney, Anne-Sofie von Otter, Michael Chance, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Andreas Schmidt

• Ton Koopman, cond. Erato, 1993

Netherlands Bach Society, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra

Soloists: Guy de Mey (Evangelist), Peter Kooy (Jesus), Barbara Schlick, Kai Wessel, Christoph Pregardien, Klaus Mertens

• Jos van Veldhoven, cond. Channel Classics, 1997.

Chorus and Orchestra of the Netherlands Bach Society

Soloists: Johannette Zomer, Andreas Scholl, Hans-Jorg Mammel, Peter Kooy, Gerd Turk (Evangelist), Geert Schmits (Jesus)

• Philippe Herreweghe, cond. Harmonia Mundi France, 1998.

Collegium Vocale Gent

Soloists: Ian Bostridge, Franz-Josef Selig, Sibylla Rubens, Andreas Scholl, Werner Güra, Dietrich Henschel

• Masaaki Suzuki, cond. BIS, 1999.

Bach Collegium Japan

Soloists: Gerd Turk (Evangelist), Peter Kooy (Jesus), Nancy Argenta, Robin Blaze, Makoto Sakurada, Chiyuki Urano

• Nikolaus Harnoncourt, cond. Teldec. 2001 Grammy Award for "Best Choral Performance",2001 Gramophone magazine award for "Best Baroque Vocal Recording."

Concentus Musicus Wien, Arnold Schoenberg Chor, Wiener Sangerknaben

Soloists: Christoph Pregardien (Evangelist), Mathias Goerne (Jesus), Dorothea Röschmann, Michael Schade, Elizabeth Magnus-Harnoncourt, Markus Schäfer, Dietrich Henschel, Christine Schäfer, Jan Leibnitz, Oliver Widmer, Bernarda Fink.

• Enoch zu Guttenberg, cond. Farao Classics, 2003.

Orchester der Klangverwaltung, Chorgemeinschaft Neubeuern, Tölzer Knabenchor

Soloists: Marcus Ullmann (Evangelist), Klaus Mertens (Jesus), Anna Korondi, Anke Vondung, Werner Güra, Hans Christoph Begemann.

• Paul McCreesh, cond. Archiv Produktion, 2003.

Gabrieli Consort and Players

Soloists: Choir 1: Deborah York, Magdalena Kožená, Mark Padmore, Peter Harvey. Choir 2: Julia Gooding, Susan Bickley, James Gilchrist, Stephan Loges - this recording uses one singer per part throughout.

• Ton Koopman, cond. Erato, 2006

Amsterdam Baroque Choir, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra

Soloists: Jorg Durmuller (Evangelist), Ekkehard Abele (Jesus), Cornelia Samuelis, Bogna Bartosz, Paul Agnew, Klaus Mertens

Born: May 2, 1947 - Ghent, Belgium Philippe Herreweghe studied piano with Marvel Gazelle at the Ghent Conservatory. ... Howard Crook (born June 15, 1947) is an American lyric tenor singer who has lived and worked in the Netherlands and France since the early 1980s. ... René Jacobs (Born: October 30, 1946) is a Flemish musician. ... Sir John Eliot Gardiner CBE (born April 20, 1943, Fontmell Magna, Dorset, England) is an English conductor. ... Deutsche Grammophon is a German classical record label. ... The English Baroque Soloists is a chamber orchestra playing on period instruments, formed in 1978 by English conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner. ... The Monteverdi Choir was founded in 1964 by Sir John Eliot Gardiner for a performance of the Monteverdi Vespers (1610) in Kings College Chapel, Cambridge. ... Barbara Bonney (born April 14, 1956) is an American soprano opera singer. ... The Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne-Sofie von Otter (born 9 May 1955) well-known opera singer and concert recitalist. ... Michael Chance (b. ... Anthony Rolfe Johnson (born November 5, 1940) is an English tenor singer. ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ... Erato - Oak panel, Simon Vouet Erato (lovely) is a Greek Muse, shown with a wreath of myrtle and roses, holding a lyre, or a small kithara (a musical instrument that she herself invented); at her feet there are 2 turtle-doves eating seeds off of the floor. ... Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir is an early-music group based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. ... This article should appear in one or more categories. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Born: May 2, 1947 - Ghent, Belgium Philippe Herreweghe studied piano with Marvel Gazelle at the Ghent Conservatory. ... Ian Bostridge, CBE (born London, 25 December 1964) is an acclaimed tenor, well known for his performances as an opera singer and as a song recitalist. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Masaaki Suzuki (Japanese 鈴木雅明) is an organist, harpsichordist and conductor, and musical director of the Bach Collegium Japan. ... BIS Records is a record label founded in 1973 by Robert von Bahr. ... The Bach Collegium Japan (BCJ) is an orchestra and chorus specialising in Baroque music. ... // Nancy Maureen Argenta, originally Herbison (born January 17, 1957) is a Canadian soprano singer, best known for performing music from the pre-classical era. ... Robin Blaze is a countertenor. ... Nikolaus Harnoncourt (born Johann Nicolaus Graf de la Fontaine und dHarnoncourt-Unverzagt December 6, 1929 in Berlin) is an Austrian conductor, particularly known for his historically informed performances of music from the classical era and earlier. ... Concentus Musicus Wien is a Baroque music ensemble founded by Nikolaus Harnoncourt and his wife Alice Harnoncourt in 1953 which was largely responsible for the movement to play early music on period instruments. ... The Vienna Boys Choir The Vienna Boys Choir (German: Wiener Sängerknaben) is a choir of boy sopranos and altos based in Vienna, Austria. ... Michael Schade is a Canadian operatic tenor who was born in Geneva and raised in Germany and Canada. ... Christine Schäfer (born May 3, 1965) is a German soprano. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Paul McCreesh (born May 24, 1960) is a classical music conductor. ... Deutsche Grammophon is a German classical record label. ... Magdalena Kožená is a famous Czech mezzo soprano singer who was born in Brno in 1973. ... Mark Padmore is a British tenor for concert, recital, and opera. ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ... Erato - Oak panel, Simon Vouet Erato (lovely) is a Greek Muse, shown with a wreath of myrtle and roses, holding a lyre, or a small kithara (a musical instrument that she herself invented); at her feet there are 2 turtle-doves eating seeds off of the floor. ... Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir is an early-music group based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. ... Paul Agnew was born in Glasgow in 1964, and read music as a Choral Scholar at Magdalen College, Oxford. ...

References

1. ^ Robin A. Leaver, "St Matthew Passion" Oxford Composer Companions: J. S. Bach, ed. Malcolm Boyd. Oxford: Oxford University Press (1999): 430. "Until 1975 it was thought that the St Matthew Passion was originally composed for Good Friday 1729, but modern research strongly suggests that it was performed two years earlier."
2. ^ Elena M. Past, "Accattone and J.S. Bach" from Italian Film Blog, posted 14 September 2007, accessed 17 September 2007. "Bach’s liturgical celebration of the passion of the Christ serves as an acoustic backdrop for the story of a pimp."

• W. Werker: Die Matthäus-Passion. Leipzig, 1923.
• Joshua Rifkin : "The Chronology of Bach's Saint Matthew Passion", in: Musical Quarterly, lxi (1975): pp. 360–87.
• Emil Platen: Die Matthäus-Passion von Johann Sebastian Bach. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1991.

Trivia

• Paul Simon based his song "American Tune" on the melody line of the chorale "O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden". This song is a reworking of an earlier secular song, "Mein Gmüth ist mir verwirret," composed by Hans Leo Hassler.

• In March 2005 a performance of the Passion in Utrecht (Holland) was enhanced with video projections. Excerpts can be viewed at: http://www.imagesandmusic.nl/dhtml/Mattheus.htm

• Richard Dawkins, the popular evolutionary biologist and, perhaps ironically given the subject matter of the piece, secular humanist, selected it as one of his eight Desert Island Discs.

• Thomas Lewis described St. Matthew's Passion in his book, "The Medusa and the Snail," as being an example of the entire human mind at work.

Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, half of the folk-singing duo Simon and Garfunkel who continues a successful solo career. ... American Tune is a song written and first performed by Paul Simon. ... Hans Leo Hassler (baptized October 26, 1564 – June 8, 1612) was a German composer and organist of the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras. ... Clinton Richard Dawkins (born March 26, 1941) is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and popular science writer who holds the Charles Simonyi Chair for the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford. ... Evolutionary biology is a subfield of biology concerned with the origin and descent of species, as well as their change over time, i. ... ... Desert Island Discs is a long-running BBC Radio 4 programme. ...

External links

• Libretto with English translation
• Commentary, musical examples, list of recordings, and other information
• Side-by-side arrangement of the original text and an English translation
• Matthäuspassion was available at the International Music Score Library Project.