Johann Sebastian Bach Johannespassion. Passio secundum Joannem

Parte prima

1. Chorus Lord, thou our Master,
thou whose name
in ev’ry land is honored,
is ever honored ev’rywhere!
Show us in this,
thy Passion’s hour,
how thou, the very Son of God,
for endless time, art now become,
tho’ brought so low,
forever glorified.

2a. Recitativo Evangelista
Jesus went with his disciples over the brook Cedron,
where was a garden, to which came Jesus and his disciples.
Judas also he who was false knew the place full well,
for Jesus resorted thither oft to be with his disciples.
Judas therefore, who had gathered a body of men,

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Parte prima · Vor der Predigt

1. Chorus Herr, unser Herrscher, dessen Ruhm
in allen Landen herrlich ist!
Zeig uns durch deine Passion,
dass du, der wahre Gottessohn,
zu aller Zeit,
auch in der größten Niedrigkeit,
verherrlicht worden bist!

2a. Recitativo Evangelista
Jesus ging mit seinen Jüngern über den Bach Kidron,
da war ein Garte, darein ging Jesus und seine Jünger.
Judas aber, der ihn verriet, wusste den Ort auch,
denn Jesus versammlete sich oft daselbst mit seinen Jüngern.
Da nun Judas zu sich hatte genommen die Schar
und der Hohenpriester und Pharisäer Diener,
kommt er dahin mit Fackeln, Lampen und mit Waffen.
Als nun Jesus wusste alles,
was ihm begegnen sollte,

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Michael Maul
Translation: Gudrun and David Kosviner

When the court Kapellmeister Johann Sebastian Bach from Köthen took up his post as music director and Kantor of St. Thomas’s School in the early summer of 1723, the weekly performance and composition of cantatas for church services on Sundays and feast days became the focus of his artistic work. In addition, he was obliged every year to deliver a musical rendition of one of the four biblical passion narratives for the vespers service on Good Friday. The latter was undoubtedly the greatest challenge for the Kantor, as the length of a passion composition exceeds that of a cantata many times over. But because there was a strict ban on music-making during the six weeks of Lent in Leipzig, Bach had comparatively much preparation time at his disposal. And so he was able to put his own personal stamp on the event already for his first Good Friday vespers on 7 April 1724. However, he had to demonstrate sensitivity. The practice of figural passion music, which had also become customary in Leipzig since 1721, was (still) controversial.

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