This new Hybrid SACD recording of JS Bach’s St John’s Passion has been produced by one of the great early music partnerships of recent times, the vocal and orchestral ensemble La Petite Band and its artistic director Sigiswald Kuijken. As with their previous recordings of the composer’s Mass in B Minor (CC72316) and St Matthew Passion (CC72357), the approach to the score is based on recent scholarship, and the music is performed with a small number of soloists and instrumentalists.
La Petite Bande was founded in 1972 by Sigiswald Kuijken, and although it was not meant to become a permanent orchestra, the success of several recordings by the group under the direction of Gustav Leonhardt was such that it began to give concerts regularly. All its members are internationally renowned early music specialists.
During J.S. Bach’s lifetime there were four different performances of his St. John’s Passion. Each of these took place with modifications. Some were in response to the circumstances at the time, others influenced by which musicians and instruments Bach had at his disposal at a particular time. This new recording is a version based on research by one of the leading experts in the composer’s work, the eminent Dutch musical director and early music specialist Sigiswald Kuijken.
Koor: Herr, Unser Herrscher
Recitatief, Koor, Recitatief : Jesus Ging Mit Seinen Jüngern
Koraal: O Grosse Lieb
Recitatief: Auf Das Wort Erfüllet Würde
Koraal: Dein Will Gesheh
Recitatief: Die Schar Aber Unde Der Oberhauptmann
Aria: Von Stricken Meiner Sünden
Recitatief: Simon Petrus Aber Folgete Jesu
Aria: Ich Folge Dir Gleichfalls
Recitatief: Derselbige Jünger
Koraal: Wer Had Dich So Geschlagen
12: Recitatief, Koor, Recitatief: Und Hannas Sandte Ihn
Aria: Ach, Mein Sinn
Koraal: Petrus Der Nicht Denkt Zurück
Koraal: Christus, Der Uns Selig Macht
Recitatief, Koor : Da Führeten Sie Jesum Von Kaipha Vor Das Richthaus
Koraal: Ach, Grosser König
Recitatief, Koor, Recitatief: Da Sprach Pilatus Zu Ihm
Arioso: Betrachte, Meine Seele
Aria: Erwäge, Wie Sein Blutgefärbter Rücken
Recitatie, Koor, Recitatief: Und Die Kriegsknechten Flochten
Koraal: Durch Dein Gefängenis
Recitatief, Koor, Recitatief: Die Juden Aber Schrieen Und Sprachen
Koor & Aria: Eilt, Ihr Angefochten Seelen
Recitatief, Koor, Recitatief: Allda Kreuzigten Sie Ihn
Koraal: In Meines Herzens Grunde
Recitatief, Koor, Recitatief: Die Kriegsknechte Aber
Koraal: Er Nahm Alles Wohl In Acht
Recitatief: Und Von Stund An
Aria: Es Ist Vollbracht
Recitatief: Und Neigte Das Haupt
Koor & Aria: Mein Treuer Heiland
Recitattief: Und Siehe Da
Aria:Mein Herz, In Dem Die Ganze Welt
Aria: Zerfliesse, Mein Herze
Recitatief: Die Juden Aber
Koraal: O Hilf, Christe, Gottes Sohn
Recitatief: Danach Bat Pilatum
Koor: Ruht Wohl, Ihr Heiligen Gebeine
Koraal: Ach Herr, Lass Dein Lieb Engelein
July/August 2012
“Genz takes the tenor arias and ariosos, as did Bach's own soloist: the ambiguity of the Evangelist's role is essential to preserving the special nature of the Passion settings, which are no operas manques with clearly allocated roles...listeners seeking a more contemplative view of the work will find this recording probably the most satisfying yet - and listeners seeking a version with one voice per part should on no account hesitate.”
September 2012
“The distinctiveness of Kuijken's Johannine vision in this recent glut of recordings lies in the patient attention to rhetorical detail and the refinement of its evolution...there is no doubting the validity of this almost theological approach, where the narrative drama is effectively consumed by the underlying message.”
September 2012
*****
“This 'choir' provides heartfelt congregational ardour in chorales, the hysterical ferocity of a crowd thirsting for blood, and objective commentary as onlookers in the opening and closing choruses. They characterise splendidly...Christoph Genz is an outstanding Evangelist, his natural speech-rhythm carrying forward this most dramatic - operatic - of Bach's works.”
July 2012
“the crowd scenes have bite and ample venom...The obbligato playing is expert throughout...I don’t think that Kuijken puts a foot wrong; he seems to pace everything unerringly and his long experience of performing Bach pays dividends as the Passion drama unfolds.”
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Koor: Herr, Unser Herrscher
