WARNING: This listening project may be a little more work for some people than others. It requires some opening of the mind to some elements not commonly found in today’s cultural norms. My goal here is to just give you some background and a way “in” to enjoying this great treasure from our Christian past.

I am recommending that you listen (to all or just part) to the St. Matthew Passion (or Passion According to St. Matthew) by J. S. Bach, either now or some time before Good Friday. This is a monumental work of art that can seriously enrich your personal, spiritual and devotional life in a way that only music really can. As a singer, it helps to be able to perform the work and “get inside” the music, but it can certainly be enjoyed and absorbed by simply knowing what to listen for.

The composer, Johann Sebastian Bach, (1685-1750) likely needs little to no introduction. Everyone studying a musical instrument has heard of J. S. Bach, the heavy-faced German dude who wrote impossibly intricate strands of melody and counterpoint, arguably the “best” composer . . . hmmmm. Please follow this link to learn a bit more about him on Professor Carol’s blog if you wish. https://www.professorcarol.com/composer-bach/

Then too, you may be wondering, if you generally don’t care for classical music, why start with something as difficult as a two-hour tour-de-force work filled with dramatic singing?

Because, in my humble opinion, it is well worth your time and effort to understand it. You do not need to accomplish the added hurdle of studying German (which I was lucky enough to do), because today we have versions of the work with lyrics in English (whew!). Composers, artists and architects of Bach’s time knew nothing of the planned obsolence we experience today in the arts (You know, that worship song was written back in 1985!) but rather, they consciously tried to create something that would speak to future generations.

Quick definition of the word “classical:” (typically of a form of art) regarded as representing an exemplary standard; traditional and long-established in form or style. Now, while I believe we should be open to new ideas, I also believe in preserving the best work of previous generations. Nothing can be gained by mindlessly tossing out the “old” stuff merely because it isn’t new. A “classic” becomes so because of its enduring nature and ability to speak to multiple generations of people.

Quick definition of the word “Passion:” in this context of sacred classical music, the term refers to a musical setting of the Passion narrative (as we Lutherans are accustomed to hearing on Palm/Passion Sunday), and of course, Bach’s 2 known settings (St. Matthew and St. John) are not the only ones out there. Surprisingly to some, it does not include or extend to the Resurrection narrative (although Bach did write an Easter cantata) but ends with the death of Christ, making it specifically a work for Good Friday. The term “Passion” comes from Latin: “passio” means “I suffer.”

It was composed for a small adult choir alongside a boys’ choir with orchestra and soloists at the St. Thomaskirche (Lutheran church) in Leipzig, Germany, where Bach held the title of Cantor (or music director). As you might know, he was a formidable organist and was responsible for all the music including choirs at four different churches (all connected) in Leipzig.

You can read the lyrics here at this link. German is on the left if you wish to peruse it. http://www.emmanuelmusic.org/notes_translations/translations_cantata/t_bwv244.htm

As you can see, the Passion is long because it includes other material besides simply the Gospel narrative. This lyrical construction was produced by a man named Christian Heinrich Henrici, writing under a pen name, Picander. This was not his first or last project with the famous composer. Picander includes poems and existing classic hymns, the most famous of which is “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded,” link here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzoj_QrSwxc which appears in varied iterations throughout the work. The hymns function as meditations on the words of the Gospel. Bach’s settings of these hymns in 4-part harmony is especially noteworthy, and forms the basis for studies of harmony in Western music today. They became the inspiration to set hymns in 4-part harmony for centuries afterward.

It’s helpful to know that the work is conceived as a dramatic production, also called an oratorio. There is no staging or costuming like an opera, but there are characters speaking ...

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