Par BACH JOHANN SEBASTIAN. The St. John Passion, Bach’s first passion oratorio, can hardly be understood as “one” work. Between 1724 and 1750 the work was performed at least four times in various Leipzig churches under the composer‘s direction and for every one of these occasions it was revised – sometimes quite substantially.
This edition presents the St. John Passion in its second version of 1725, of which only excerpts were rendered in the New Bach Edition volume II/4 (1973). This version as well as the last one of 1749 constitute the two versions that have come down to us almost in their entirety.
Most recently found sources – in particular the libretto print of the passion rediscovered in 2015 – are taken into consideration in this edition for the first time./ Répertoire / Chant et Orchestre
