Bach's St John Passion
Bach's St John Passion
The Gramophone Choice
Gerd Türk ten Evangelist Chiyuki Urano bass Christus Ingrid Schmithüsen, Yoshie Hida sops Yoshikazu Mera counterten Makoto Sakurada ten Peter Kooij bass Bach Collegium Japan / Masaaki Suzuki
BIS BIS-CD921/2 (126' · DDD · T/t) Buy from Amazon
Bach seems to have performed his St John Passion on four Good Fridays during his tenure as Thomaskantor at Leipzig. However, he continued to make significant revisions right up to the last performance under his direction, on April 4, 1749. Of the four versions, the second, dating from 1725, contains the most distinctive revisions, the first version (1724) and the last bearing close affinity with one another. Masaaki Suzuki and his talented Bach Collegium Japan have chosen Bach’s latest version. All has evidently been carefully prepared and deeply considered: what’s refreshing about their approach is the importance afforded to the relationship between text and music, to the theological source of Bach’s inspiration, and the emotional impact of the story and music on its audience. Some of their thoughts may strike readers as simplistic, even perhaps a shade sentimental, but on the strength of this fervent performance we can hardly question their sincerity.
The role of the Evangelist is sung with clarity and lightness of inflection by Gerd Türk. His performance is eloquently measured, his phrasing well shaped and his articulation engagingly varied. All this makes him a riveting story-teller. The role of Jesus is taken by Chiyuki Urano, warm-toned and resonant. Ingrid Schmithüsen and Yoshikazu Mera make strongly appealing contributions and Peter Kooij is satisfying and affecting.
Excellent, too, are the contributions of the Collegium’s choir of women’s and men’s voices. Choral and instrumental articulation is incisive, propelling the rhythms with energy. The performance draws you in from the start. This is a major recording event, and an eminently satisfying one.
Additional Recommendation
St John Passion (sung in English)
Sir Peter Pears ten Evangelist Gwynne Howell bass Christus Heather Harper, Jenny Hill sops Alfreda Hodgson contr Robert Tear, Russell Burgess, John Tobin, Adrian Thompson tens John Shirley-Quirk bar Wandsworth School Boys’ Choir; English Chamber Orchestra / Benjamin Britten
Double Decca 443 859-2DF2 (130‘ · ADD) Recorded 1971. Buy from Amazon
Britten’s recording of the St John Passion is very special indeed. Apparently he preferred to perform this Bach choral work because of its natural potential for drama. This account takes over the listener completely. The soloists are all splendid, though Heather Harper must be singled out, and the choral response is inspirational in its moments of fervour. Peter Pears is a superb Evangelist; Britten’s direction is urgent and volatile; the Wandsworth School Boys’ Choir sings out full-throatedly and the English Chamber Orchestra underpins the whole performance with gloriously rich string textures. The analogue recording offers a demonstration of ambient fullness, vividness of detail and natural balance. In fact, it’s as if a live performance at The Maltings, Snape, has been transported to the area just beyond your speakers.
