St. Matthew Passion

New Zealand Listener, Volume 35, Issue 895, 28 September 1956, Page 9

St. Matthew Passion

HE‘ St. Matthew Passion, one of the world’s masterpieces of dramatic oratorio, will be performed in Wellington on Wednesday, October 3. The work was written by Bach for a service to be held in the Lutheran Church in Leipzig on Good Friday in 1728. After this performance the Passion remained unperformed for over a hundred years, and it was not until 1829 that Mendelssohn brought it to life again. The Passion as a musical form has a long history in Germany, the German people becoming especially fond of it. Like the oratorio, it is the outgrowth of the medieval mystery play which had its origin in the desire to illustrate the gospel stories, whose Latin text was unintelligible to the majority of the

congregations. The Reformed Church of Germany inherited from Rome the tradition of presenting the story of the Passion with dramatic devices to bring it home to the mind of the worshippers. The gospel story was broken up into separate episodes and the actual words spoken by the individuals were given to separate characters. From the time of Bach’s predecessor Schutz, himself a writer of numerous Passions, there was hardly an organist in Germany who did not try his hand at a Passion. In Bach’s century, C. P. E. Bach and Haydn wrote in this form, and in the 19th century there was Beethoven’s Mount of Olives, as well as a Passion by Spohr and Perosi. Modern Passions include those by Stainer (The

Crucifixion) and Somervell (The Passion of Christ). Bach set the Passion story five times, but today he is remembered by the Sz. Matthew and the St. John. His text comes from the gospel of St. Matthew, chapters 26-27. He uses every instrument and device that is consistent with the spirit of the Passion. The work contains recitatives, arias, chorales, and orchestral descriptive scenes. It begins with a double chorus, "Come Ye Daughters, Share My Mourning," which shows, as it were, a view of calvary from the city of Jerusalem. Gradually the eye moves upwards with the basses and Calvary itself is seen. Anxious questions are exchanged by the two choirs and a new section of sopranos is heard singing, "O Lamb of God Unspotted," the hymn that is also Jesus’s funeral dirge. The stage is now set and the story begins. Throughout the work there are many arias which have become justly famed. There is, for instance, the soprano aria with flute, "For Love My Saviour Now is Dying,’ the alto aria, "Have Mercy, Lord," with violin obbligato, and the tenor aria, "I Would Beside My Lord," with oboe accompaniment. Bach’s gift for writing orchestral description is illustrated in the scene after the scourging of Jesus. The audience hears the contralto soloist singing "All Gracious God," but throughout this recitative and the aria that follows, the rhythm in the strings reminds the listener all the time that the scourge is falling remorselessly on Jesus’s back. The work ends with the Evangelist telling of the sealing of the tomb, a brief farewell by the four soloists and the final stately elegy by the chorus. Thus the work ends as it began, with a great double chorus. By contrast with the St. John Passion, this is a very personal oratorio, and it gives Bach every opportunity for meditation and comment. At the performance in Wellington several notable overseas soloists will be taking part. William Herbert, one of England’s foremost oratorio singers, wiil take the part of the Evangelist. He is vell:known for his performance of this part in England, and especially in Holand. Just before he left England for his

present tour he sang in Handel’s Judas Maccabeus in Holland-a performance to celebrate the Dutch liberation. Keith Faulkner, an Englishman with an international reputation, will sing the bassbaritone roles. He, too, has frequently sung in the St. Matthew Passion in England and Europe. His present visit is as an examiner for the Royal Schools of Music. Donald Munro will sing the baritone roles, and the women’s roles will be sung by Dora Drake, soprano, and Muriel Gale, contralto. The continuo part will be played by Dr. Thornton Lofthouse, using the new Goff harpsichord in its first public appearance. Dr. Lofthouse has played this continuo part hundreds of times in London, but, as he puts it, "each time slightly differently." The choir will be the Phoenix, making its first public appearance. When the Schola Cantorum was disbanded early this year,’ the Phoenix Choir arose from its ashes. With Harry Brusey as chorus-master it was formed primarily to perform large-scale works-there will be two appearances this year with the National Orchestra. The National Orchestra on this occasion will be conducted by James Robertson. The performance will be broadcast from all YCs on Wednesday, peaicinvon 3, at 8.0 p.m. 7