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Bach’s St. John Passion

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Kipling

Kipling

While Bach is well known for his St. Matthew Passion music, in some ways I prefer his St. John Passion compositions so here is my recommendation for the week.  I usually include a review from Amazon as most reviewers have a better knowledge of music than I do.

“I resisted buying and then listening to this version of one of my favorite pieces of choral music. Why? Firstly, I already own 2 other fine versions and I thought that a translation into English from German would distort what Bach had wanted. I was wrong: if anything, the English language helped me get “into” the text more…and understand, perhaps, a bit more of what Bach wanted us to feel while listening. I also do not usually like the sound of a boy choir. Bach had written the work for boy choir, but most recordings (and live performances) use an adult female choir. In this recording, conductor Benjamin Britten chose to use the Wandsworth School Boys’ Choir and they are exemplary: their voices never get into that whiny treble we are used to hearing and their enunciation of the English language is beyond reproach. All of the soloists employed are stars in their own right and many of them had worked together with and for Britten before this recording. Peter Pears, of course, was Britten’s partner/muse/lover and he is superb as “Evangelist.” If you have ever heard Pears sing, you know that his quality is one that cannot be compared with anyone. He is a singular artist. Britten has melded this entire, difficult, gorgeous work of Bach’s into a very moving experience. The sound on this double CD set, recorded almost 30 years ago, is bright and full and rich. Do yourself a favor and buy this sublime music in this wonderful performance. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!”

A second and thorough review.

“Ideally Bach’s wonderful St.John Passion should be heard in the original German in order to fully appreciate the ideal marriage of text and music which makes Bach such a paragon of excellence amongst composers.  There are some excellent versions available, and if I could gently push you in the direction of say Gardiner or Suzuki, then I would be satisfied that I’ve accomplished my good deed for the day.

However, sometimes it’s nice to skip the language barrier and indulge yourself in a direct channel of communication via your own mother tongue.  To that end, this 1971 performance under the sure-footed guidance of the esteemed composer Benjamin Britten is the best possible way to approach the marvels of the St.John without wrestling with translations as you go.
The recording is for the most part excellent, and is ideally full-bodied and intimate.  There are a few thumps and bumps in the long opening chorale,”Sire, Lord and Master”, but I don’t feel this is too much of a distraction because of the panoply of beauty that awaits afterwards.  The all-important linking role of the Evangelist is given to Peter Pears, and no more sensitive interpreter of that crucial role will you find on record, I feel.  He really does convey every emotional nuance of his recitatives quite brilliantly, and if you want a good example of his superb word-painting, just listen to the way he wrings all the heart-breaking tragedy of Peter’s denial of Jesus out of just two words,”…wept bitterly”, in No.18.  Quite marvelous!
The choral element is given to the amazingly assured Wandsworth School Boy’s choir under the direction of Russell Burgess, and it’s hard to believe that they are (or were rather) just children.  Many adult choirs would be hard-pressed to match their incredibly sensitive awareness of the emotion implicit in their chorales. Whatever these boys behavior was like before or after this performance they were surely Angels on that day of the recording.  From the lovely, “O generous love”, No.7,to the famous and utterly sublime “Farewell, O weary broken body,” their combined performance is a feast for the ears and balm for the heart.
The soloists I cannot praise highly enough. Perfectly matched as a quartet, and individually they are absolutely astonishing in their virtuosity.  Perhaps the biggest bouquet should go to the soprano Heather Harper who is quite outstanding in, “I’ll follow thee also,” and “With torrents of weeping…”.  Quite honestly it’s worth buying the disc for her performance of these two arias alone!  Yet who would miss hearing the lovely contralto Alfreda Hodgson in her beautiful rendition of “To release me from this prison”. Extraordinarily moving,and another gem amongst all the other treasures on this disc.  The tenor Robert Tear needs no qualification from this humble reviewer. Everything he has done in his long career has been executed with consummate mastery of his craft,and his work on this particular recording is no exception.  He is quite wonderful in conveying the bitter agony of the aftermath of Peter’s denial in his aria,”Ah! take flight”, and we REALLY “climb the grey hills in fearful desperation” with him, as we experience at first hand the desperate enormity of what the apostle has just done.
The Bass John Shirley-Quirk is a name known and loved by those who adore choral music,and he is the final member in this “dream-team” of soloists.  In the St. John passion the bass arias are suffused with music of quite magical loveliness,and thank goodness they are in such a safe pair of hands here.  One of the most heart-stoppingly gorgeous moments in the entire work is the introduction to, “Look yonder, O my soul”.  My respect for the English Chamber Orchestra is boundless after the way they so tenderly pave the way for J S-Q’s vocal entry here.
To conclude then: you are going to have to make room for two St. John Passion’s in your collection.  First and foremost you must go to the German motherlode to experience this masterpiece as the composer originally intended.  But for a performance that will really hit you where you live, and open a direct line into the heart and soul of a wonder upon the Earth you simply HAVE to buy this lovely, lovely record.”

 

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