RECENTLY, when I put a piece of music on here by the baroque composer, Jan Dismas Zelenka (who was much admired by Bach), a comment was placed underneath reminding me that some 30 years ago I put out to the Diakrisis subscribers a list of my favourite recordings of sacred works. Those would have been on CD or vinyl of course. Now, with the advent of YouTube, there is access to an amazing array of live classical works free of charge. So, I should create a new Top Twenty list sometime. In the meantime, I will put out solitary representatives of that list, as I do here today. For this work occupies joint no.1 on my list.

At this time of year, for obvious reasons, people tend to listen to Georg Handel’s masterpiece, “The Messiah”. This time last year I did recommend a wonderful performance of that on period instruments which was here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_mZ6GYh2ls&list=RDv_mZ6GYh2ls&start_radio=1 . However, I am thinking along different lines this year. You see, I have never really been a ’Christmas person’. There are far too many materialistic and pagan ‘add-ons’ and, besides, the incarnation of Christ was only ever about leading to one thing — His death (which Mary knew very well when Simeon prophesied to her that with the birth of her son, Jesus, “a sword will pierce your soul as well”, Luke 2:35). Let me develop this…

At one stage, out of the blue, Jesus cried out: “I have come to ignite a fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!” (Luke 12:49-50). That “baptism” (baptised with blood) was his passion, suffering, on the cross, to which He elsewhere referred to as “the cup I am going to drink” (Matthew 20:22). The Greek word translated there as “distressed” is συνέχομαι, synechomai, from the verb root, συνέχω, sunechó, which implies being impelled, compelled, urged, compressed on all sides to do something. “Distressed” does not really express the totality of what Jesus was feeling there. For example, a ship which is sinking is described as being “in distress” but Jesus was not sinking as some kind of victim. He was in a kind of agony of soul to get the job done. He could hardly wait till He could do what He came on earth to do — what He was born to do. This is why the incarnation is not the central focus of His manifestation in the flesh. It is His death. And the reason why he was so burdened to get the job done was because of the “fire” that He wanted to see “ignited” on the earth, as the text above says. That fire involves the tearing apart of the fallen nature of this world, the salvation of many souls on it, and ultimately the creation of a new cosmos. He was fired up with a holy impetus to get all that done. He was born so that He could die. [I have a seasonal CyberSermon on that very subject here: https://diakrisis-project.com/2023/12/20/cybersermon-born-to-die-how-christ-affects-everyones-life-whether-they-know-it-or-not/ ].

So, accordingly, the piece of music which I want to bring before you today is the masterpiece known as the “Saint Matthew Passion”, a massive oratorio for choir, soloists and orchestra of 2 hours 45 minutes by Johann Sebastian Bach. It was originally written in 1727 and then revised by 1736 for a performance on Good Friday in St. Thomas’ church, Leipzig, in Germany. It is based on the 26th and 27th chapters of the Gospel of Matthew and is intended to be evangelistic — Bach himself being a devout disciple of Christ. However, the work went into obscurity after Bach’s death but was fortunately revived nearly 80 years later in 1829 by the twenty-year-old composer, Felix Mendelssohn.

The beauty of this performance is that it is carried out in as close a manner as possible to how it would have been performed in Bach’s time, both instrumentally and stylistically. In other words, all the instruments are either of that actual period or are facsimiles. Gut strings on the stringed instruments, a harpsichord, wooden portative organ, fretted 7-string viola da gamba, fretted double-bass, arched bows on the strings, wooden wind instruments, two curved oboe de cassia (in ebony I think), and a lovely theorbo (giant lute) taking centre stage. The use of a male countertenor in the alto part works wonderfully and Tim Mead’s sonorous tone is deeply moving, as in the “Erbarme Dich” aria (“Have Mercy”). The rendition of Peter’s betrayal is superbly performed and will surely bring tears to your eyes. The whole work is narrated from Scripture by the “Evangelist” to keep the performance moving, and all the arias and choral pieces are interspersed with gorgeous chorales (how I love chorales!) which declare Bach’s own pious thoughts, one of which will sound familiar because it has been used as a church hymn tune, “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded”.

The orchestra and singers are those of the Netherlands Bach Society (founded in 1929), plus six members of the Kampen Boys’ Choir. The director is Jos van Veldhoven who has been in the forefront of pioneering the early music movement since the 1970s. The venue is the Grote Kerk (great church) in Naarden, a town which is a little to the east of Amsterdam. The Netherlands Bach Society’s aim has been to make live recorded performances of every work of Bach (1000+) freely available to the public.

The Matthew Passion is not only a masterpiece musically but it is deeply emotional and moving. From the very first notes it will grip you with the bassline of a heartbeat for which Bach is well-known: Dum-dum, dum-dum, dum-dum, dum-dum. The Herz (heart/soul) was always prominent as a subject in Bach choral works. Moreover, this performance carries the necessary sense of solemnity, devotion, and gravitas. My comment under the YouTube video of my chosen performance says this:

“It really doesn’t get any better than this for a Bach Passion; and on period instruments too. Lovely little 6-part ripieno for boy choristers. Everything here is superlative: The professionalism and virtuosity (by which I mean that the high technical standard means the band is free to play with the heart); the orchestral ensemble and choral diction; the necessary solemnity and gravitas; the clear voices of the soloists; the intimacy of the whole company of small-forces, yet powerful when needed; the tasteful playing of the continuo harpsichord and portative organ; and that gorgeous Theorbo centre-stage! I loved it all. The high spot for me emotionally and spiritually is the ‘Erbarme Dich’ — truly, the fiddle player and countertenor put tears in my eyes. I believe that this performance of what was intended to be an evangelistic work (if one obtained the lyrics in one’s own language) could bring the listener to explore the truth about Christ, something which is borne out in one of the comments below mine. Altogether a great achievement. The Early Music Movement has reached a zenith with this. Thank you!”

Are you now tempted to watch/listen to it in this superbly produced live video with excellent sound recording and video editing? The English translation of the original German text is now running along the foot of the screen, a welcome addition.

So don’t get hung up on the cosy wintry seasonal notions about the incarnation — the “gentle Jesus meek and mild” schmaltz which keeps Him in His cradle wrapped up in swaddling clothes instead of letting Him loose to get that fire ignited on the earth. He was born in order than He would die the death that He died, so that He would save His people from their sins and would be resurrected and ascend into heaven paving the way for His disciples to join Him. I hope you will be uplifted and edified by this beautiful music to realise this. Click on the embedded YouTube video below to see and listen. Though if you want to see the English translation as subtitles at the bottom of the screen you will have to turn on closed captions/subtitles in the settings.

Blessings to one and all… 💝