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
5^th performance (4^th version): March 27, 1750 - Leipzig

Text:

Compiler of the whole text unknown.
Borrowings from: Barthold Heinrich Brockes: Der für die Sünde der Welt Gemarterte und Sterbende Jesus (Jesus who Suffered and Died for the Sins of the World), aus den IV Evangelisten, (Hamburg, 1712 and 1715): Mvt. 7(11), Mvt. 19(31), Mvt. 20(32), Mvt. 24(48), Mvt. 32(60), Mvt. 34(62), partly Mvt. 35(63) and Mvt. 39(67); Christian Weise: Der Grünen Jugend Nothwendige Gedanken (Leipzig, 1675): Mvt. 13(19); Christian Heinrich Postel: Johannes- Passion (around 1700): Mvt. 22(40), Mvt. 30(58), partly Mvt. 19(31) in the later version and possibly Mvt. 30(58); S. Franck Arnstädter Gesangbuch (1745): possibly Mvt. 13(19) in the later version.
Chorales: Mvt. 3(7). Johann Heermann: verse 7 of "Herzliebster Jesus, was hast du verbrochen," 1630 (Fischer-Tümpel, I, #334); Mvt. 5(9). Martin Luther: verse 4 of "Vater unser im Himmelreich," 1539 (Wackernagel, I, #215); Mvt. 11(15). Paul Gerhardt, verse 3 and 4 of "O Welt, sieh hier dein Leben," 1647 (Fischer-Tümpel, III, #387); Mvt. 14(20). Paul Stockmann: verse 10 of "Jesu Leiden, Pein und Tod," 1633 (Fischer-Tümpel, II, #37); Mvt. 15(21). Michael Weisse, verse 1 of the hymn, 1531 (Wackernagel, I, #342); Mvt. 17(27). Johann Heermann: verse 8 and 9 of "Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du verbrochen," 1630 (Fischer-Tümpel, I, #334); Mvt. 22(40). Text of an aria from Christian Heinrich Postel: Johannes-Passion, c1700, to the chorale melody of Johann Hermann Schein: "Machs mit mir, Gott, nach deiner Güt"; Mvt. 26(52). Valerius Herberger: verse 3 of "Valet will ich dir geben," 1613 (Fischer-Tümpel, I, #125); Mvt. 28(56). Paul Stockmann: verse 20 of "Jesu Leiden, Pein und Tod," 1633 (Fischer-Tümpel, II, #37); Mvt. 32(60). ibid, final verse; Mvt. 37(65). Michael Weisse: verse 8 of "Christus, der uns selig macht," 1531 (Wackernagel, I, #342); Mvt. 40(68). Martin Schalling: verse 3 of "Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, o Herr," 1571 (Wackernagel, IV, #1174); Appendix: 1II. Sebald Heyden, verse 1 of the hymn, 1525 (Wackernagel, III, #603); Mvt. 11(15). Paul Stockmann: verse 33 of "Jesu Leiden, Pein und Tod," 1633 (Fischer-Tümpel, II, #37); 40II. German "Agnus Dei," Braunschweig, 1528.
Biblical texts: John 18 and 19 with the interpolation of Matthew 26: 75 after John 18: 27 and of Matthew 27: 51-52 after John 19: 30.

BWV 245 Text: German-1 | German-6 (1) | German-6 (2) | German-6 (3) | German-6 (4)
Translations: English-1 | English-3I | English-3P | English-5 | English-6 | English-6 (1725) | English-10 | BWV 245.1 (version I, 1724): English-13 | BWV 245.2 (version II, 1725): English-13 | BWV 245.4 (version V, 1739–1749, & Modern Hybrid): English-13 | BWV 245.5 (version IV, 1749): English-13
Chinese-2 | Dutch-0 | Dutch-3 | French-4/1 | French-4/2 | French-6 | Hebrew-1 | Hebrew-2 | Hebrew-3 | Hungarian-1 | Hungarian-2 | Indonesian-1 | Italian | Russian-1 | Russian-2 | Spanish-2 | Spanish-7
Chorale Texts: Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du verbrochen [BWV 245/3,17] | Vater unser im Himmelreich [BWV 245/5] | O Welt, sieh hier dein Leben [BWV 245/11] | Jesu Leiden, Pein und Tod [BWV 245/14,28,32] | Christus, der uns selig macht [BWV 245/15,37] | Durch dein Gefängnis, Gottes Sohn [BWV 245/22] | Valet will ich dir geben [BWV 245/26] | Herzlich lieb hab' ich dich, o Herr [BWV 245/40]

BWV 245a Text: German-1
Translations: Russian-1 | Spanish-2

BWV 245b Text: German-1
Translations: Russian-1 | Spanish-2
BWV 245c Text: German-1
Translations: Russian-1 | Spanish-2

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, N/A]
J.S. Bach's Johannespassion - liturgischer Standort und formale Überlegungen [German, N/A]
The Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies [N/A]
Programme Notes for J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion [N/A]
St John Passion Recordings 1945-1975 (School of Music & Music Education, UNSW) [N/A]
The Earliest Version of Bach’s St. John Passion [by Pieter Dirksen]
Boston Cecilia: Bach's St. John Passion, Program Notes [by Donald Teeters]
Performance Practice of J.S. Bach’s Passio Secundum Johannem - a study of 25 years of recorded history (1982-2007) as influenced by events surrounding the Historically Informed Performance movement [by michael troy murphy, Florida State University: College Of Music]

Music:

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

Discussions:

August 1998 - May 2003; Weeks of April 4 & 11, 2010; Week of March 29, 2015

Johannes-Passion BWV 245: Details
Complete Recordings: 1900-1949 | 1950-1959 | 1960-1969 | 1970-1979 | 1980-1989 | 1990-1999 | 2000-2009 | 2010-2019 | 2020-2029 | Complete Recordings sung in English | Recordings of Individual Movements
General Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8
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 - F. Brüggen | BWV 245 - S. Cleobury | BWV 245 - P. Dombrecht | BWV 245 - D, Fasolis | BWV 245 - J.E. Gardiner | BWV 245 - E.z. Guttenberg | BWV 245 - N. Harnoncourt-H. Gillesberger | BWV 245 - P. Herreweghe | BWV 245 - E. Higginbottom | BWV 245 - E. Jochum | BWV 245 - E. Kleiber | BWV 245 - P.J. Leusink | BWV 245 - H. Max | BWV 245 - P. McCreesh | BWV 245 - H. Münch | BWV 245 - P. Neumann | BWV 245 - A. Parrott | BWV 245 - P. Pickett | BWV 245 - K. Richter | BWV 245 - H. Rilling | BWV 245 - P. Schreier | BWV 245 - R. Shaw | BWV 245 - K. Slowik | BWV 245 - M. Suzuki | BWV 245 - J.v. Veldhoven
Articles: Saint John Passion, BWV 245 [T.N. Towe] | The Passion of Saint John, BWV 245 [M. Steinberg] | St. John Passion [A. Wong & N. Proctor] | The St. John Passion on stage [U. Golomb] | Literary Origins of Bach’s St. John Passion: 1704-1717 [W. Hoffman] | Bach’s Passion Pursuit [W. Hoffman] | Bach's St. John Passion and its Dramatic History of Origin [M. Maul]