St John Passion structure

Gospel

The gospel account by John narrates the story in five "scenes". The corresponding movement numbers are given from the Neue Bach-Ausgabe (NBA).

Part I

1. Arrest (1–5), Kidron Valley (John 18:1–11)
2. Denial (6–14), palace of the high priest Kaiphas (John 18:12–27)

Part II

1. Court hearing with Pontius Pilate (15–26) (John 18:28–40 and John 19:1–22)
2. Crucifixion and death (27–37), Golgatha (John 19:23–30)
3. Burial (38–40), burial site (John 19:31–42)

Some musicologists regard movement 24 as the conclusion of scene 3, the aria "Eilt, ihr angefocht'nen Seelen" which locates the action from the courthouse to Golgotha, the calvary. Others, including Alfred Dürr, regard the scene as ending with the last comment by Pilate.

Bach incorporated two short interpolations from the Gospel of Matthew (in Version I, one from Matthew and one from the Gospel of Mark), Matthew 26:75 after John 18:27, describing the weeping of Peter, and Matthew 27:51–52 after John 19:30, describing the tearing of the temple curtain (in Version I, this was replaced by Mark 15:38). The narrator is the Evangelist, a tenor. Jesus and all other male characters are sung by a bass, while the people who are often summarily called die Jüden (the Jews) are sung by a four-part chorus (SATB) in dramatic turba movements. The "immediate, dramatic quality" of the "kind of musical equivalent of the Passion Play" relies on the setting of the interaction between the historical persons (Jesus, Pilate, Peter) and the crowd ("soldiers, priests, and populace").

Chorales

At eleven moments in the Passion, stanzas from Lutheran chorales reflect the narration. Possibly Bach had an influence on their selection. He set them all in common time for four parts, the instruments playing colla parte with the voices.

Five chorales conclude a scene (in movements 5, 14, 26, 37 and 40); while a chorale opens Part II (15). Five chorales comment within a scene (3, 11, 17, 22, 28), including the central movement (22). One chorale accompanies the bass soloist in an aria (32).

Most chorale texts were written in the 16th and 17th century, by authors of the Reformation such as Martin Luther, Martin Schalling and Michael Weiße, and by hymn writers including Paul Gerhardt and Johann Heermann. The central chorale is not part of a common hymn, it's text being taken from a libretto by Christian Heinrich Postel's.

Contemporary text

The third source for the text is contemporary poetry that reflects the biblical narration. It was compiled by an unknown author, who partly used existing text: from the Brockes Passion (Der für die Sünde der Welt Gemarterte und Sterbende Jesus, aus den IV Evangelisten, Hamburg, 1712 and 1715) by Barthold Heinrich Brockes, he copied the text for movements 7, 19, 20, 24, 32, 34, 35 (partly) and 39; he found movement 13 in Christian Weise's Der Grünen Jugend Nothwendige Gedanken (Leipzig, 1675) and took from Christian Heinrich Postel's Johannes-Passion (c. 1700) movements 19 (partly), 22 and 30.

Scoring

The work is scored for vocal soloists (soprano, alto, tenor and bass), a four-part choir SATB, and an orchestra of two flauto traverso (Ft), two oboes (Ob), two oboes da caccia (Oc), two oboes d'amore (Oa), two violins, viola (Va), and basso continuo. Bach added some instruments which were already old-fashioned at the time in arias for special effects, such as the archlute, the viola d'amore and the viola da gamba (Vg). Bach did not differentiate the vox Christi (voice of Christ), singing the words of Jesus, from the other bass recitatives and arias, nor the evangelist from the tenor arias.

Symmetry

The work displays a thoughtful symmetry. In the center of the five parts is the court hearing which confronts Jesus, Pilate and the people. In the middle of the hearing, a chorale (22) interrupts the argument, which is a discussion about freedom and captivity. It is surrounded by two choral movements, which not only both ask for the crucifixion of Jesus, but also use the same musical motifs, the second time intensified. Again, in a repetition of similar musical material, a preceding turba choir explains the law, while a corresponding movement reminds Pilate of the Emperor whose authority is challenged by someone calling himself a king. Preceding this, Jesus is greeted in mockery as a king, corresponding in motif to the later request that Pilate should change the inscription saying he is "the King of the Jews" to "He said: I am the King of the Jews".

Versions

Bach led the first performance on 7 April 1724 at the Nikolaikirche (St. Nicholas) as part of a Vesper service for Good Friday. Part I was performed before the sermon, Part II after the sermon. Bach performed a second version on Good Friday a year later, 30 March 1725. Other versions were performed between 1728 and 1732 (version 3), and in 1749 (version 4). A final, fifth version, revised between 1739 and 1749, was never performed in Bach's lifetime.

In version 2, Bach opened with a chorale fantasia on "O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß" (O man, bewail thy sins so great), the first stanza of a 1525 hymn by Sebald Heyden, a movement which he ultimately used to conclude Part I of his St Matthew Passion, returning to the previous chorus Herr, unser Herrscher in later versions of the St John Passion. He used three alternative arias, one of them with a chorale sung by the choir, and replaced the two closing movements, the chorus "Ruht wohl" and the chorale "Ach Herr, laß dein lieb Engelein" with the chorale fantasia "Christe, du Lamm Gottes" (Christ, you Lamb of God), the German Agnus Dei, published in Braunschweig in 1528. Bach took this movement from his cantata Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn, BWV 23, which had been an audition piece for his post in Leipzig. Before, it had been part of his Weimarer Passion of 1717.

In version 3, after Bach wrote his St Matthew Passion, he returned the opening chorus Herr, unser Herrscher and the final chorus "Ruht wohl" to their initial position, but removed the Gospel passages from Matthew and the closing chorale.

In version 5 (never performed), possibly dating from as early 1739, Bach returned to the first version, but revised it thoroughly. He began a new score which covers 12 movements. As Christoph Wolff observes: "The fragmentary revised score constitutes an extensive stylistic overhaul with painstaking improvements to the part-writing and a partial restructuring of the instrumentation; particular attention was paid to the word-setting in the recitatives and the continuo accompaniment." In 1749, Bach performed the St John Passion once more, in an expanded and altered form from the 1724 version, in what would be his last performance of a Passion.

Wolff writes: "Bach experimented with the St John Passion as he did with no other large-scale composition", possible by the work's structure with the Gospel text as its backbone and interspersed features that could be exchanged. Wolff concludes: "the work accompanied Bach right from his first year as Kantor of St Thomas's to the penultimate year of his life and thus, for that reason alone, how close it must have been to his heart.

Overview

In the following, the movement numbers are those of the NBA, version I, unless otherwise noted.

The chorales in detail

The first chorale, movement 3, is inserted after Jesus says to the crowd to arrest him, but let the disciples go. "O große Lieb, o Lieb ohn alle Maße" (O mighty love, O love beyond all measure) is stanza 7 of Johann Heermann's 1630 hymn "Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du verbrochen". In personal reflection, the speaker sees the contrast of his pleasure in the world and the suffering of Jesus, ending in a short "Und du mußt leiden" (And you must suffer).

The second chorale, movement 5, ends the first scene, after Jesus remarks that he has to be obedient. "Dein Will gescheh, Herr Gott, zugleich" (Your will be done, Lord God, alike) is stanza 4 of Luther's 1539 hymn "Vater unser im Himmelreich, a paraphrase of the Lord's Prayer.

The third chorale, movement 11, is inserted after Jesus asks those who are beating him for justification. Two stanzas from Paul Gerhardt's 1647 hymn "O Welt, sieh hier dein Leben" comment the scene, stanza 3, "Wer hat dich so geschlagen" (Who has you now so stricken), and stanza 4, "Ich, ich und meine Sünden" (I, I and my transgressions), highlighting the personal responsibility of the speaking sinner for the suffering of Jesus.

The fourth chorale, movement 14, ends the second scene and Part I. After Peter's denial, "Petrus, der nicht denkt zurück" (Peter, when he fails to think) summarizes the scene with stanza 10 of Paul Stockmann's 1633 hymn "Jesu Leiden, Pein und Tod".

The fifth chorale, movement 15, opens Part II and the third scene. "Christus, der uns selig macht" (Christ, who has made us blessed), stanza 1 of Michael Weiße's 1531 hymn, summarizes what Jesus has to endure, even though he is innocent ("made captive, ... falsely indicted, and mocked and scorned and bespat").

The sixth chorale, movement 17, comments in two more stanzas from "Herzliebster Jesu" (3), after Jesus addresses the different people of his kingdom. Stanza 8, "Ach großer König, groß zu allen Zeiten" (Ah King so mighty, mighty in all ages) reflects the need for thanksgiving and stanza 9 the inability to grasp it, "Ich kanns mit meinen Sinnen nicht erreichen" (I cannot with my reason ever fathom).

The seventh chorale, movement 22, is the central movement of the whole Passion, which interrupts the conversation of Pilate and the crowd by a general statement of the importance of the passion for salvation: "Durch dein Gefängnis, Gottes Sohn, ist uns die Freiheit kommen" (Through your prison, Son of God, must come to us our freedom) is not part of a known hymn, but the text of an aria from a St John Passion by Postel from around 1700.

The seventh chorale, movement 26, ends the scene of the court hearing, after Pilate refuses to change the inscription. "In meines Herzens Grunde" (Within my heart's foundation) is stanza 3 of Valerius Herberger's 1613 hymn "Valet will ich dir geben".

The eighth chorale, movement 28, is related to Jesus telling his mother and John to take care of each other. "Er nahm alles wohl in acht" (He of all did well take heed) is stanza 20 of Stockmann's hymn (14).

The ninth chorale, movement 32, is part of the bass aria which follows immediately after the report of the death of Jesus. "Jesu, der du warest tot, lebest nun ohn' Ende" (Jesus, you who suffered death, now live forever) is the final stanza of Stockmann's hymn (14).

The tenth chorale, movement 37, ends the scene of the crucifixion. "O hilf, Christ, Gottes Sohn" (O help, Christ, Son of God) is stanza 8 of Weiße's hymn (15).

The eleventh chorale, movement 40, ends the Passion. "Ach Herr, laß dein lieb Engelein" (Ah Lord, let your own angels dear) is stanza 3 of Martin Schalling's 1569 hymn "Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, o Herr".

Tables of movements

The following tables give an overview of all versions of the Passion, first performed in 1724. Two variants of movement numbering are given, first that of the Neue Bach-Ausgabe (NBA), then that of the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV). Voices appear in one of three columns, depending on the text source: Bible, contemporary poetic reflection, or chorale. The instrumentation is added, using abbreviations for instruments, followed by key and time signature, and the NBA number of a corresponding movement within the work's symmetry.

Version I

There are no extant Flute parts for this version, so the movements that normally require them have violins instead. This was performed in 1724. The Bach Compendium lists it as BC D 2a

Part I

Part II

Version II

For this version (of 1725), in addition to the Flute parts (which were first used in late 1724 (after 1. Sunday after Trinity), Bach heavily revised both text and music. He added five movements from his Weimarer Passion, with three texts now thought to be by Christoph Birkmann. This is listed as BC 2b.

Part I

Part II

Version III

In this version, Bach reverted to the original layout (thus discarding the previous revisions and additions). However, he decided to compose a true St. John Passion, and thus eliminated the material inserted from the Gospel of Matthew. Now 12c ends in Measure 31 and Movement 33 is eliminated altogether (replaced by a lost Sinfonia). He also dispensed with the Lute and the Viola d'amore, replacing them with an Organ and Violini con sordino. It was possibly performed in 1728 and definitely in 1732. This is listed as BC D 2c.

Part I

Part II

Standard Version (1739-1749)

Essentially a reworking of the 1724 Version, this version is the most detail-oriented revision of the work. On 17 March 1739, while still working on this revision, Bach was informed that the performance of the Passion setting could not go ahead without official permission, thus (most likely) effectively halting any plans for that year. In response, Bach performed the Brockes-Passion of his friend, Georg Philipp Telemann (TVWV 5:1). However, though he had stopped at measure 42 of Movement 10, he continued to work on this revision, as shown by the copyists' score and parts. It is listed as BC D 2e.

Part I

Part II

Version IV

Essentially a re-production of Version I with a few alterations (text changes in Movements 9, 19 & 20, instrumentation reflective of Version III). It was performed in 1749 and (most likely) repeated in 1750. It also represents (outside of the St. Matthew Passion) the largest instrumental ensemble used (calling for 3 1st Violins), and (for the first time in his work) calls for a Contrabassoon (used in all choral parts, as well as instrumental ritornellos). It is listed as BC D 2d.

Part I

Part II