Johann Sebastian Bach St. Matthew Passion

Text: Holy Bible according to Matthew 26 & 27; Christian Friedrich Henrici alias Picander
Translation: Henry S. Drinker

Prima parte

1. Coro (I+II) con Corale (Soprano in ripieno) Come, ye daughters, share my wailing,
see ye! – Whom? – the Bridegroom see!
see him, – How? – a Lamb is he,
Soprano in ripieno:
O Lamb of God unspotted
upon the cross thou art slaughtered.
Look ye, – What? – how patient he.
See ye him, for love of me
he himself his cross must carry.
See – Ah, where? – how guilty we,
Serene and everpatient
Tho’ scorned and cruelly tortured.
All sin for our sake bearing,
else would we die despairing.
Have pity on us, O Jesus!

2. Evangelista, Jesus (I) Evangelist:
When Jesus then had finished with all

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Prima parte

1. Coro (I+II) con Corale (Soprano in ripieno) Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen,
sehet – Wen? – den Bräutigam,
seht ihn – Wie? – als wie ein Lamm!
Soprano in ripieno:
O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig
am Stamm des Kreuzes geschlachtet,
sehet, – Was? – seht die Geduld.
allzeit erfunden geduldig,
wiewohl du warest verachtet.
Seht – Wohin? – auf unsre Schuld;
All Sünd hast du getragen,
sonst müssten wir verzagen.
Sehet ihn aus Lieb und Huld
Holz zum Kreuze selber tragen!
Erbarm dich unser, o Jesu!

2. Evangelista, Jesus (I) Evangelist:
Da Jesus diese Rede vollendet hatte, sprach er zu seinen Jüngern:
Jesus:
Ihr wisset, dass nach zweien Tagen Ostern

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Andreas Glöckner
Translation (abridged): David Kosviner

Many aspects relating to the genesis of the St. Matthew Passion are still unresolved. Only one performance can be documented with certainty: it took place during the Good Friday Vespers in 1736. There was, most probably, a further performance in 1742. There is substantial evidence in support of two preceding performances (in 1729 and 1727), but we cannot be absolutely certain. It is probable that the events leading up to the Passion go back even further than we already supposed: Perhaps already in 1726 Bach intended to compose a work before he decided (apparently too late) to re-perform the St. Mark Passion that has been mistakenly attributed to Reinhard Keiser. Also, in the previous year (1725), there was an attempt to write a Passion composition which came to naught, probably due to the withdrawal of the librettist. (Had Bach at that time already planned to compose a Passion according to the Evangelist Matthew?) Apparently he decided at short notice to perform his St. John Passion again, which had been performed in 1724, but with far-reaching changes to the

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