German Title

Johannes-Passion

Latin Title

Passio Secundum Johannem

English Title

St. John Passion (SJP), the Passion according to St. John

French Title

Passion Selon Saint Jean

Italian Title

Passione Secondo San Giovanni

Spanish Title

La Pasión Según San Juan

Event

Passion to be performed in Good Friday

Composed

Leipzig, 1724. Revised - Leipzig, 1725, c1730 & late 1740's
1^st performance (1^st version): April 7, 1724 - Leipzig; 2^nd performance (2^nd version): March 30, 1725 - Leipzig; 3^rd performance (3^rd version): April 11, 1732 ? - Leipzig; 4^th performance (4^th version): April 4, 1749 - Leipzig

Text

From Der für die Sünde der Welt gemarterte und sterbende Jesus by Bathold Heinrich Brockes, based on Johannes, 18-19; Christian Heinrich Postel (Mvts. ?)

German-1 | Translations: English-1 | English-3 | English-5 | French-4/1 | French-4/2 | Hebrew-1 | Hebrew-2 | Hebrew-3 | Hungarian-1 | Hungarian-2 | Indonesian | Italian | Spanish-2
BWV 245a: German-1 | BWV 245b: German-1 | BWV 245c: German-1
Chorale Texts: Valet will ich dir geben | Vater unser im Himmelreich | O Welt, sieh hier dein Leben | Durch dein Gefängnis, Gottes Sohn

Scoring

Soloists: Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass; Choir: SATB
Orchestra: 2 transverse flutes, 2 oboes, oboe d'amore, 2 oboes da caccia, 2 violins, 2 violas d'amore, viola, viola da gamba, lute (organ or harpsichord, continuo (+ violoncello, violone, bassoon)
Part 1: Mvt. 1: Chorus | Mvt. 2a: Recitative | Mvt. 2b: Chorus | Mvt. 2c: Recitative | Mvt. 2d: Chorus | Mvt. 2e: Recitative | Mvt. 3: Chorale | Mvt. 4: Recitative | Mvt. 5: Chorale | Mvt. 6: Recitative | Mvt. 7: Aria | Mvt. 8: Recitative | Mvt. 9: Aria | Mvt. 10: Recitative | Mvt. 11: Chorale | Mvt. 12a: Recitative | Mvt. 12b: Chorus | Mvt. 12c: Recitative | Mvt. 13: Aria | Mvt. 14: Chorale
Part 2: Mvt. 15: Chorale | Mvt. 16a: Recitative | Mvt. 16b: Chorus | Mvt. 16c: Recitative | Mvt. 16d: Chorus | Mvt. 16e: Recitative | Mvt. 17: Chorale | Mvt. 18a: Recitative | Mvt. 18b: Chorus | Mvt. 18c: Recitative | Mvt. 19: Arioso | Mvt. 20: Aria | Mvt. 21a: Recitative | Mvt. 21b: Chorus | Mvt. 21c: Recitative | Mvt. 21d: Chorus | Mvt. 21e: Recitative | Mvt. 21f: Chorus | Mvt. 21g: Recitative | Mvt. 22: Chorale | Mvt. 23a: Recitative | Mvt. 23b: Chorus | Mvt. 23c: Recitative | Mvt. 23d: Chorus | Mvt. 23e: Recitative | Mvt. 23f: Chorus | Mvt. 23g: Recitative | Mvt. 24: Aria & Chorus | Mvt. 25a: Recitative | Mvt. 25b: Chorus | Mvt. 25c: Recitative | Mvt. 26: Chorale | Mvt. 27a: Recitative | Mvt. 27b: Chorus | Mvt. 27c: Recitative | Mvt. 28: Chorale | Mvt. 29: Recitative | Mvt. 30: Aria | Mvt. 31: Recitative | Mvt. 32: Aria & Chorus | Mvt. 33: Recitative | Mvt. 34: Arioso | Mvt. 35: Aria | Mvt. 36: Recitative | Mvt. 37: Chorale | Mvt. 38: Recitative | Mvt. 39: Chorus | Mvt. 40: Chorale
Appendices: Mvt. 245a: Aria | Mvt. 245b: Aria | Mvt. 245c: Aria

Part 1: Score BGA Part 1 [4.06 MB] | Part 2: Score BGA Part 2 [9. 01 MB] | BWV 245a,b,c: Score BGA Anh [1.45 MB]
Chorale Melodies: Valet will ich dir geben | Vater unser im Himmelreich | O Welt, ich muß dich lassen | Machs mit mir, Gott, nach deiner Güt

References

BGA: XII/1 | NBA: II/4 | BC: D 2 | Zwang: - | First Published: Berlin, 1831

Commentary

Johannes-Passion Seminar - Recht und Musik [German]
J.S. Bach's Johannespassion - liturgischer Standort und formale Überlegungen [German]
The Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies
Programme Notes for J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion
St John Passion Recordings 1945-1975 (School of Music & Music Education, UNSW)
The Earliest Version of Bach’s St. John Passion [by Pieter Dirksen]
Boston Cecilia: Bach's St. John Passion, Program Notes [by Donald Teeters]

Music

Music Examples | J.S. Bach: St John Passion BWV 245

Discussions

August 1998 - May 2003

Contents

Complete Recordings - Until 1950
Complete Recordings - 1951-1960
Complete Recordings - 1961-1970
Complete Recordings - 1971-1980
Complete Recordings - 1981-1990
Complete Recordings - 1991-2000
Complete Recordings - From 2001
Complete Recordings - Sung in English
Recordings of Individual Movements

General Discussions - Part 1
General Discussions - Part 2
General Discussions - Part 3
General Discussions - Part 4
General Discussions - Part 5

Systematic Discussions: Part 1: Mvts. 1-7 | Part 2: Mvts. 6-14 | Part 3: Mvts. 15-20 | Part 4: Mvts. 21-26 | Part 5: Mvts. 27-32 | Part 6: Mvts. 36-40 | Part 7: Summary

Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - conducted by Frans Brüggen
Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - conducted by Stephen Cleobury
Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - conducted by Paul Dombrecht
Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - conducted by Diego Fasolis
Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - conducted by John Eliot Gardiner
Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - conducted by Enoch zu Guttenberg
Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt / Hans Gillesberger
Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - conducted by Philippe Herreweghe
Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - conducted by Edward Higginbottom
Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - conducted by Eugen Jochum
Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - conducted by Erich Kleiber
Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - conducted by Pieter Jan Leusink
Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - conducted by Hermann Max
Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - conducted by Paul McCreesh
Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - conducted by Hans Münch
Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - conducted by Peter Neumann
Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - conducted by Andrew Parrott
Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - conducted by Philip Pickett
Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - conducted by Karl Richter
Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - conducted by Helmuth Rilling
Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - conducted by Peter Schreier
Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - conducted by Robert Shaw
Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - conducted by Kenneth Slowik
Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - conducted by Masaaki Suzuki
Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - conducted by Jos van Veldhoven
Baker does Bach - conducted by Menuhin & Marriner

Article: Saint John Passion, BWV 245 [by Teri Noel Towe]
Article: The Passion of Saint John, BWV 245 [by Michael Steinberg]
Article: St. John Passion [by Audrey Wong & Norm Proctor]
Article: The St. John Passion on stage [by Uri Golomb]

--

Prepared by Aryeh Oron (December 2000 - May 2007)

Johannes-Passion BWV 245: Details
Recordings: Until 1950 | 1951-1960 | 1961-1970 | 1971-1980 | 1981-1990 | 1991-2000 | From 2001 | Sung in English | Individual Movements
General Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
Systematic Discussions: Part 1: Mvts. 1-7 | Part 2: Mvts. 6-14 | Part 3: Mvts. 15-20 | Part 4: Mvts. 21-26 | Part 5: Mvts. 27-32 | Part 6: Mvts. 36-40 | Part 7: Summary
Individual Recordings: BWV 245 - Brüggen | BWV 245 - Cleobury | BWV 245 - Dombrecht | BWV 245 - Fasolis | BWV 245 - Gardiner | BWV 245 - Guttenberg | BWV 245 - Harnoncourt-Gillesberger | BWV 245 - Herreweghe | BWV 245 - Higginbottom | BWV 245 - Jochum | BWV 245 - E. Kleiber | BWV 245 - Leusink | BWV 245 - Max | BWV 245 - McCreesh | BWV 245 - H. Münch | BWV 245 - Neumann | BWV 245 - Parrott | BWV 245 - Pickett | BWV 245 - Richter | BWV 245 - Rilling | BWV 245 - Schreier | BWV 245 - Shaw | BWV 245 - Slowik | BWV 245 - Suzuki | BWV 245 - Veldhoven
Articles: Saint John Passion, BWV 245 [by Teri Noel Towe] | The Passion of Saint John, BWV 245 [by Michael Steinberg] | St. John Passion [by Audrey Wong & Norm Proctor] | The St. John Passion on stage [by Uri Golomb]

Record& Discussions of Other Vocal Works: BWV 225-231 | BWV 232 | BWV 233-242 | BWV 243 | BWV 244 | BWV 245 | BWV 246 | BWV 247 | BWV 248 | BWV 249 | BWV 250-438 | BWV 439-507 | BWV 508-523 | BWV 524

Recordings & Discussions of Other Vocal Works: Motets BWV 225-231 | Mass in B minor BWV 232 | Missae Breves & Sanctus BWV 233-242 | Magnificat BWV 243 | Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 | Johannes-Passion BWV 245 | Lukas-Passion BWV 246 | Markus-Passion BWV 247 | Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248 | Oster-Oratorium BWV 249 | Chorales BWV 250-438 | Geistliche Lieder BWV 439-507 | AMN BWV 508-523 | Quodlibet BWV 524 | Aria BWV 1127

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