St. Matthew Passion - Revision history

DavidB4-bot: /* Orchestration and Musical Style */correcting hyphen usage, as requested, replaced: th-century → th century

2016-09-02T16:36:48Z

‎Orchestration and Musical Style: correcting hyphen usage, as requested, replaced: th-century → th century

DavidB4-bot: Spelling/Grammar Check, typos fixed: 1730's → 1730s, , → , (14)

2016-08-24T13:07:54Z

Spelling/Grammar Check, typos fixed: 1730's → 1730s, , → , (14)

DavidB4-bot: clean up & uniformity

2016-07-12T00:57:15Z

clean up & uniformity

Joaquín Martínez: /* History and Overview */

2013-03-17T15:01:23Z

‎History and Overview

JDWpianist: tweaked formatting for intro

2010-04-03T22:32:41Z

tweaked formatting for intro

Jpatt: add cat

2010-02-28T20:15:55Z

add cat

JDWpianist: /* Orchestration and Musical Style */ grammar

2009-05-28T11:31:57Z

‎Orchestration and Musical Style: grammar

Ed Poor: linke to general article: passion (music)

2009-05-27T12:56:08Z

linke to general article: passion (music)

JDWpianist: /* Notable Recordings */ sp.

2009-04-11T22:25:34Z

‎Notable Recordings: sp.

JDWpianist: /* Notable Recordings */ added iTunes information for out-of-print Solti recording

2009-04-11T22:22:48Z

‎Notable Recordings: added iTunes information for out-of-print Solti recording

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 In the movements which involve one or both choruses, there is a variety of compositional techniques that Bach uses. One of the most famous is the ''[[cantus firmus]]'' technique, which already was a couple of centuries old in Bach's day. In the opening chorus ("Kommt ihr Töchter, helft mir Klagen," No. 1), Bach combines all eight voices [[counterpoint|contrapuntally]], and at the climax, the treble choir joins with an old [[Gregorian chant|plainchant]] sung in very long notes over the eight faster-moving voices. Another usage of the ''cantus firmus'' technique can be found in the final chorus of part one ("O Mensch, bewein dein' Sünde groß," No. 29), where the chant melody plays a more prominient role throughout.
-A second technique that occurs often in the St. Matthew Passion is the quick alternation between choirs, known as "antiphonal" singing, which must be heard in a church to be fully appreciated. This technique is often associated with [[Venice|Venetian]] music of the 16th-century, especially with the composer [[Giovanni Gabrieli]]. Examples of this can be found in "Ja, nicht auf das Fest" (No. 4b) and in "Gegrüßet seist du."
+A second technique that occurs often in the St. Matthew Passion is the quick alternation between choirs, known as "antiphonal" singing, which must be heard in a church to be fully appreciated. This technique is often associated with [[Venice|Venetian]] music of the 16th century, especially with the composer [[Giovanni Gabrieli]]. Examples of this can be found in "Ja, nicht auf das Fest" (No. 4b) and in "Gegrüßet seist du."
 The most pervasive technique Bach uses however is that of the [[fugue]], which permeates the choral writing in almost every major chorus. As the highest form of counterpoint, Bach reserves it for the most elevated sentiments.

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 ==Orchestration and Musical Style==
-Bach wrote parts for several instruments that are no longer used in the modern orchestra. In the string section, the viola da gamba (a smaller version of the cello, but with six strings and frets) has an important and virtuosic solo part, which is often replaced by the [[cello]]. It is in the woodwinds where the greatest differences are found. Instead of [[flute]]s, which did not exist as we know them in the 1730's, Bach wrote for "flauto traverso," or wooden recorders. In addition to [[oboe]]s, Bach wrote for pairs of "oboes d'amore" and most memorably of the leather crescent-shaped "oboes da caccia," which fell out of use after Bach's death. While our modern knowledge of how the oboes da caccia sounded is sketchy, Bach's use of the instrument in the St. Matthew Passion suggests a very exotic, dark sound, used to chilling effect in "Ach, Golgatha!" (No. 59).
+Bach wrote parts for several instruments that are no longer used in the modern orchestra. In the string section, the viola da gamba (a smaller version of the cello, but with six strings and frets) has an important and virtuosic solo part, which is often replaced by the [[cello]]. It is in the woodwinds where the greatest differences are found. Instead of [[flute]]s, which did not exist as we know them in the 1730s, Bach wrote for "flauto traverso," or wooden recorders. In addition to [[oboe]]s, Bach wrote for pairs of "oboes d'amore" and most memorably of the leather crescent-shaped "oboes da caccia," which fell out of use after Bach's death. While our modern knowledge of how the oboes da caccia sounded is sketchy, Bach's use of the instrument in the St. Matthew Passion suggests a very exotic, dark sound, used to chilling effect in "Ach, Golgatha!" (No. 59).
 [[Image:Orchestra.jpg|right|240px]]
 For listeners whose only acquaintance with Bach is the keyboard music and popular choruses such as "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," the Passions sound surprisingly dissonant and chromatic. Especially in the music for the Evangelist, whose vocal lines modulate frequently to distant [[key (music)|key]]s, it sounds very "modern" compared to other Baroque music.
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 The great Bachian, Karl Richter, recorded the work twice – in 1958 and 1981 – his earlier recording is considered one of the great recordings (of any music) of the 1950s and is still mentioned as a benchmark.
-*(DG Original 4636352 -  Antonia Fahberg , Irmgard Seefried sops Hertha Töpper mez Ernst Haefliger ten Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau bar Kieth Engen , Max Proebstl bass Munich Bach Choir; Munich Bach Orchestra; Munich Boys' Choir/Karl Richter) Richter’s 1981 recording of the work was not as well received.
+*(DG Original 4636352 -  Antonia Fahberg, Irmgard Seefried sops Hertha Töpper mez Ernst Haefliger ten Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau bar Kieth Engen, Max Proebstl bass Munich Bach Choir; Munich Bach Orchestra; Munich Boys' Choir/Karl Richter) Richter’s 1981 recording of the work was not as well received.
 Herbert von Karajan also has two recordings of the Passion - a live recording from Vienna with that orchestra in 1950 commemorating the 200th anniversary of Bach’s death, long famous for the performance of the contralto, Kathleen Ferrier (Andante; AND1170) – and a 1973 recording with some of the big gun singers of the time. Like most of its predecessors, it was big and romantic and tended to sacrifice intellect for emotion.
-*(DG 4197892 - Gundula Janowitz sop Christa Ludwig mez Horst Laubenthal , Peter Schreier tens Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau bar Walter Berry bbar Anton Diakov bass Berlin Cathedral Boys' Choir; Berlin Deutsche Oper Chorus; Berlin State Boy's Choir; Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra; Vienna Singverein/Herbert von Karajan
+*(DG 4197892 - Gundula Janowitz sop Christa Ludwig mez Horst Laubenthal, Peter Schreier tens Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau bar Walter Berry bbar Anton Diakov bass Berlin Cathedral Boys' Choir; Berlin Deutsche Oper Chorus; Berlin State Boy's Choir; Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra; Vienna Singverein/Herbert von Karajan
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 A version on modern instruments with both intellect and emotion is Sir Georg Solti’s, recorded with his Chicago orchestra and choir, and excellent soloists. It is a dramatic though articulate performance, beautifully recorded, that stands with the best. Unfortunately, Decca, for reasons unknown, have deleted the complete recording from their catalogue leaving only a CD of arias and choruses available, though the complete version is available for download at iTunes.
-*(Decca 421 177-1DH3. Kiri Te Kanawa, sop, Anne Sofie von Otter, mez, Anthony Rolfe Johnson , Hans-Peter Blochwitz, tenors, Olaf Bär , Tom Krause, bars, Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Chicago Symphony Chorus; (Glen) Ellyn Children's Chorus/Georg Solti
+*(Decca 421 177-1DH3) Kiri Te Kanawa, sop, Anne Sofie von Otter, mez, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Hans-Peter Blochwitz, tenors, Olaf Bär, Tom Krause, bars, Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Chicago Symphony Chorus; (Glen) Ellyn Children's Chorus/Georg Solti
 The “authentic music” movement took off in the 1970s. At the forefront then and now has been Nicolas Harnoncourt with his Concentus Musicus Vienna. Harnoncourt has recorded the Passion three times; in 1970, 1986 and 2001. The 1970 recording was the pioneering "authentic" account; his latest, from 2001, is considered a benchmark for modern period instrument recordings.
-*(Teldec 8573-81036-2 - Christine Schäfer , Dorothea Röschmann sops Bernarda Fink , Elisabeth von Magnus conts Christoph Prégardien , Michael Schade , Markus Schäfer tens Dietrich Henschel , Matthias Görne , Oliver Widmer basses, Arnold Schoenberg Choir; Concentus Musicus; Vienna Boys' Choir/Nikolaus Harnoncourt)
+*(Teldec 8573-81036-2 - Christine Schäfer, Dorothea Röschmann sops Bernarda Fink, Elisabeth von Magnus conts Christoph Prégardien, Michael Schade, Markus Schäfer tens Dietrich Henschel, Matthias Görne, Oliver Widmer basses, Arnold Schoenberg Choir; Concentus Musicus; Vienna Boys' Choir/Nikolaus Harnoncourt)
 John Eliot Gardiner’s recording with his Monteverdi Choir and excellent soloists is also considered amongst the best of the “authentic” versions. Unlike many, he employs a male alto. Brought out only a year after the Solti mentioned above, it is interesting to compare the two.
-*(Archiv 427 648-2AH3 - Ann Monoyios , Barbara Bonney sops Anne Sofie von Otter mez Michael Chance alto Anthony Rolfe Johnson , Howard Crook, tens, Andreas Schmidt , Olaf Bär, bars, Cornelius Hauptmann, bass, English Baroque Soloists; London Oratory Junior Choir; Monteverdi Choir/John Eliot Gardiner)
+*(Archiv 427 648-2AH3 - Ann Monoyios, Barbara Bonney sops Anne Sofie von Otter mez Michael Chance alto Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Howard Crook, tens, Andreas Schmidt, Olaf Bär, bars, Cornelius Hauptmann, bass, English Baroque Soloists; London Oratory Junior Choir; Monteverdi Choir/John Eliot Gardiner)

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 For listeners whose only acquaintance with Bach is the keyboard music and popular choruses such as "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," the Passions sound surprisingly dissonant and chromatic. Especially in the music for the Evangelist, whose vocal lines modulate frequently to distant [[key (music)|key]]s, it sounds very "modern" compared to other Baroque music.
-In the movements which involve one or both choruses, there is a variety of compositional techniques that Bach uses. One of the most famous is the [[cantus firmus|''cantus firmus'']] technique, which already was a couple of centuries old in Bach's day. In the opening chorus ("Kommt ihr Töchter, helft mir Klagen," No. 1), Bach combines all eight voices [[counterpoint|contrapuntally]], and at the climax, the treble choir joins with an old [[Gregorian chant|plainchant]] sung in very long notes over the eight faster-moving voices. Another usage of the ''cantus firmus'' technique can be found in the final chorus of part one ("O Mensch, bewein dein' Sünde groß," No. 29), where the chant melody plays a more prominient role throughout.
+In the movements which involve one or both choruses, there is a variety of compositional techniques that Bach uses. One of the most famous is the ''[[cantus firmus]]'' technique, which already was a couple of centuries old in Bach's day. In the opening chorus ("Kommt ihr Töchter, helft mir Klagen," No. 1), Bach combines all eight voices [[counterpoint|contrapuntally]], and at the climax, the treble choir joins with an old [[Gregorian chant|plainchant]] sung in very long notes over the eight faster-moving voices. Another usage of the ''cantus firmus'' technique can be found in the final chorus of part one ("O Mensch, bewein dein' Sünde groß," No. 29), where the chant melody plays a more prominient role throughout.
 A second technique that occurs often in the St. Matthew Passion is the quick alternation between choirs, known as "antiphonal" singing, which must be heard in a church to be fully appreciated. This technique is often associated with [[Venice|Venetian]] music of the 16th-century, especially with the composer [[Giovanni Gabrieli]]. Examples of this can be found in "Ja, nicht auf das Fest" (No. 4b) and in "Gegrüßet seist du."
@@ Line 94: / Line 94: @@
 *(BIS CD1000-02 – soloists, Bach Collegium Japan chorus and orchestra/MasaakiSuzuki.)
 ==Bibliogaphy==
 Leaver, Robin A. ''Music as Preaching: Bach, Passions, and Music in Worship'', 1982.<br />
 Lederer, Victor. ''Bach's St. Matthew Passion, a Closer Look'', 2008.<br />
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-==External Links==
+==External links==
-*http://www.choral-society.org/resources/2005_06/St_Matthew_text.pdf - The complete text of the St. Matthew Passion, with English translation. (Warning, numbering of movements does not match numbering in this article.)<br />
+*http://www.choral-society.org/resources/2005_06/St_Matthew_text.pdf - The complete text of the St. Matthew Passion, with English translation. (Warning, numbering of movements does not match numbering in this article.)
-*http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Articles/SMP%5BRifkin%5D.htm - An analysis by Joshua Rifkin<br />
+*http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Articles/SMP%5BRifkin%5D.htm - An analysis by Joshua Rifkin
 *http://imslp.org/wiki/St._Matthew_Passion_BWV_244_(Bach,_Johann_Sebastian) - The full score from IMSLP (fair use, expired copyright)
 [[Category:Classical Works]]
 [[Category:Featured articles]]

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 ==History and Overview==
 {{main|passion (music)}}
-[[Image:Buoninsegna Crucifixion.jpg|thumb|Duccio di Buoninsegna, Crucifixion.]]
+[[Image:Buoninsegna Crucifixion.jpg|thumb|[[Duccio di Buoninsegna]], Crucifixion.]]
 Musical settings of the story of the [[Passion]] of Jesus taken from the four [[Gospels]] had been part of church liturgy during Holy Week from the earliest times and from the 13th century had taken on some dramatic content with the use of different solo voices for the various characters, supported by choruses for the crowd and disciples.  Lutheran settings in northern [[Germany]] by the time of Bach had developed into a form of [[oratorio]], presented in the [[vernacular]] where [[chorale]]s, and other settings of devotional texts and even instrumental passages were introduced between the strictly scriptural text passages taken from the appropriate Gospel.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[Image:Johann Bach.jpg|thumb|Johann Sebastian Bach]]
-The '''Passion According to Saint Matthew''' (also referred to as ''St. Matthew Passion'', in German ''Matthäus-Passion'') is the monumental [[passion (music)|passion]] by [[J. S. Bach]] considered to be one of the pillars of Western musical culture. Requiring two orchestras, two choirs, six vocal soloists, and over three hours to perform, it has nonetheless achieved a lasting popularity in English-speaking and especially in German-speaking countries. It was first performed in Leipzig on Good Friday, 1727 or 1729.
+The '''Passion According to Saint Matthew''' (also referred to as ''St. Matthew Passion'', [[German language|German]] '''''Matthäus-Passion''''') is the monumental [[passion (music)|passion]] by [[J. S. Bach]] considered to be one of the pillars of Western musical culture. Requiring two orchestras, two choirs, six vocal soloists, and over three hours to perform, it has nonetheless achieved a lasting popularity in English-speaking and especially in German-speaking countries. It was first performed in Leipzig on Good Friday, 1727 or 1729.
 ==History and Overview==

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:15, February 28, 2010
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	[[Category:Classical Works]]		[[Category:Classical Works]]
		+	[[Category:Featured articles]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:25, April 11, 2009
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−	The “authentic music” movement took off in the 1970s. At the forefront then and now has been Nicolas Harnoncourt with his ~~Consentus~~ Musicus Vienna. Harnoncourt has recorded the Passion three times; in 1970, 1986 and 2001. The 1970 recording was the pioneering "authentic" account; his latest, from 2001, is considered a benchmark for modern period instrument recordings.	+	The “authentic music” movement took off in the 1970s. At the forefront then and now has been Nicolas Harnoncourt with his Concentus Musicus Vienna. Harnoncourt has recorded the Passion three times; in 1970, 1986 and 2001. The 1970 recording was the pioneering "authentic" account; his latest, from 2001, is considered a benchmark for modern period instrument recordings.
	*(Teldec 8573-81036-2 - Christine Schäfer , Dorothea Röschmann sops Bernarda Fink , Elisabeth von Magnus conts Christoph Prégardien , Michael Schade , Markus Schäfer tens Dietrich Henschel , Matthias Görne , Oliver Widmer basses, Arnold Schoenberg Choir; Concentus Musicus; Vienna Boys' Choir/Nikolaus Harnoncourt)		*(Teldec 8573-81036-2 - Christine Schäfer , Dorothea Röschmann sops Bernarda Fink , Elisabeth von Magnus conts Christoph Prégardien , Michael Schade , Markus Schäfer tens Dietrich Henschel , Matthias Görne , Oliver Widmer basses, Arnold Schoenberg Choir; Concentus Musicus; Vienna Boys' Choir/Nikolaus Harnoncourt)

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:22, April 11, 2009
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−	A version on modern instruments with both intellect and emotion is Sir Georg Solti’s, recorded with his Chicago orchestra and choir, and excellent soloists. It is a dramatic though articulate performance, beautifully recorded, that stands with the best. Unfortunately, Decca, for reasons unknown, have deleted the complete recording from their catalogue leaving only a CD of arias and choruses available	+	A version on modern instruments with both intellect and emotion is Sir Georg Solti’s, recorded with his Chicago orchestra and choir, and excellent soloists. It is a dramatic though articulate performance, beautifully recorded, that stands with the best. Unfortunately, Decca, for reasons unknown, have deleted the complete recording from their catalogue leaving only a CD of arias and choruses available, though the complete version is available for download at iTunes.
	*(Decca 421 177-1DH3. Kiri Te Kanawa, sop, Anne Sofie von Otter, mez, Anthony Rolfe Johnson , Hans-Peter Blochwitz, tenors, Olaf Bär , Tom Krause, bars, Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Chicago Symphony Chorus; (Glen) Ellyn Children's Chorus/Georg Solti		*(Decca 421 177-1DH3. Kiri Te Kanawa, sop, Anne Sofie von Otter, mez, Anthony Rolfe Johnson , Hans-Peter Blochwitz, tenors, Olaf Bär , Tom Krause, bars, Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Chicago Symphony Chorus; (Glen) Ellyn Children's Chorus/Georg Solti