Let’s start with a simple question : which version have you recorded? Hmm, this is actually a rather complex question. During Bach’s lifetime there were four different performances, each time with new modifications, some in response to the circumstances at the time, others influenced by which musicians and instruments he then had at his disposal. However Bach experimented to the greatest degree with the second version, dating from 1725: for instance, he used a different opening chorus (which was later to become the closing chorus of the first part of the St Matthew Passion, a work yet to be composed at this stage) and a couple of other arias near the end of the work. For the later performances he reverted to his first version from 1724, albeit with some differences in instrumentation. For instance, in the final version he includes a bassono grosso, but no one knows for certain which instrument he had in mind; possibly a 16-foot bassoon, i.e. a contrabassoon, a veritable chimney pot two metres in length. However, he scored this instrument in combination with the delicate sound of the lute and two violas d’amore, of all things! I cannot believe that Bach would opt for such an instrument in this passage; an 8-foot bassoon is more likely and the term bassono grosso probably indicates this more modern type of instrument rather than the earlier dulcian, although the latter had not totally fallen out of fashion at the time. However, I would not venture a definite opinion as to what bassono grosso means in this context. So we did not use this instrument: this was yet another reason to stick with the first version, since it raises fewer uncertain issues. Nevertheless, there are still various grey areas involved. Even prior to the first performance, before making the individual orchestral parts, Bach began to write out the score in fine calligraphy, a task he did not complete; and this score deviates in some aspects from the orchestral material used in the actual performance. The process of determining the most probable historical truth continues to have elements reminiscent of a detective novel; anyway, it will never be possible to clarify certain details. At any rate, we opted for the first version that everyone performs.
Tracklist
Please note that the below previews are loaded as 44.1 kHz / 16 bit.Total time: 01:44:58
Additional information
| Label | |
|---|---|
| SKU | CC72545 |
| Qualities | |
| Channels | |
| Artists | |
| Composers | |
| Genres | |
| Cables | Siltech |
| Digital Converters | Dcs |
| Mastering Equipment | Avalon Acoustic |
| Microphones | Sonodore |
| Conductors | |
| Instruments | Alto Saxophone, Bass, basse de violin, Flute, Lute, Tenor Saxophone, Viola d'amore, Viola da gamba, Oboe, Organ, Soprano saxophone, Violin |
| Original Recording Format | |
| Producer | Bert van der wolf |
| Recording Engineer | Bert van der Wolf |
| Recording location | Academiezaal, St. Truiden, Belgium |
| Recording Software | Pyramix |
| Recording Type & Bit Rate | DSD64 |
| Release Date | October 11, 2014 |
Press reviews
Positive Feedback
During Bach’s lifetime there were four different performances of the St. John’s Passion, each time with new modifications, some in response to the circumstances at the time, others influenced by which musicians and instruments he then had at his disposal…
What clearly is to be heard in this performance is the aesthetic that Kuijken applies in all of this performances of the Bach choral works: clarity of voice, limited numbers of performers, vocal soloists serving together for the chorus, authentic instruments for the period. His view is that, above all, these religious choral works by Bach were about the text: “This music is first and foremost vocal music: the text, the message is paramount. It is also significant that this soloistic approach creates an extremely natural balance with the instrumental ensemble.”
…And thus we have a performance of great clarity. Which in many ways is most fortuitous for us a listeners because the libretto is a complete hodge-podge of source material. As Kuijken notes, “In contrast to the St Matthew Passion libretto, which was written by a single librettist, the libretto of the St John Passion is a patchwork, a hotchpotch, a puzzle made up of diverse, pre-existing texts, possibly compiled by Bach himself and taken from the gospels, old chorales, poetry by B.H. Brockes, C.H. Postel…” And, in many ways, this “hotchpotch” is what makes the St. John’s Passion such an interesting work.
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