David Glenn Lebut Jr. wrote (March 4, 2005):
I had just received the Schreier Johannespassion recording I was asking about, and, whilst I found it admirable, it is (Aryeh, I hope you are reading this as well) not as advertised on the Bach Cantatas Website. It is not a recording of the 1724 version of the Johannespassion, but rather another recording of the 1739/1749 revision (which was not heard during Bach's lifetime). Here are the tell-tale indications:
Version 1724 and 1749 (the fifth version Bach wrote and the fourth and final one performed) are almost exactly identical except in two areas:
1.) Instrumentation: in the 1749 version, the Continuo nas an added instrument--the Contrabassoon. Also in the 1749 version, Movements 19, 20, 21 (Coro "Sei gegruesset, lieber Judenkoenig"), and the Coro "Schreibe nicht, der Judenkoenig" are as in the version of 1732. Also Movement 35 has two Violinos con sordino accompanying the Flutes and Oboes.
2.) Text: the B section of Nr. 19 and all of Nr. 20 have new texts. Also, the C part of Nr. 10 and all of Nr. 33 are identical to the version of 1725 as far as the text goes (in other words, they use the excerpts from the Matthäusevangelium rather than the Markusevangelium which the version of 1724 used).
None of the recording in question was at all like the situation mentioned above.
Also, one question:
It mentions in the program guide all the performers except one. They do not mention who played the Keyboard (both Harpsichord and Organ) instrment in the Continuo group. I assume that it was the Chorus Master that they listed, but am not sure. |