Gubaidulina’s music is truly her own and and defies comparison with existing material. When asked the influence of other composers on her style, she responded, “there were periods of attraction to Wagner, the Russian school, Josquin, Gesualdo and the Second Viennese School but the figure to whom I experience a constant devotion is JS Bach. His works are still a great source of learning for me.” Like her influencers, she is endlessly fascinated by numerology, the manipulation of mathematical sequences, most notably the Fibonacci series and deeply embedded religious symbolism.

It is this sort of abstract, almost mystical approach to faith that underpins of all her compositions. Gubaidulina firmly believes that music can and for that matter should, be of significant spiritual importance. She says, “the whole world is threatened by spiritual passivity, an entropy of the soul, a transition from more complex energy to a simpler form…amorphousness. What puts the brakes on that process is the human spirit and in part, art and that is a matter for serious music.”

Much of her time is spent developing musical symbols to represent the religious ideas of the cross, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection and the Transfiguration. In many ways, the Passion 2000 Project was tailor made for her as it gave her an opportunity to explore these ideas in conjunction with her interest in musical images of the Apocalypse and Last Judgment.

The intersection of the Passion story and the Apocalypse is relatively uncommon in music but has been much represented in art; most famously by Giotto in Padua (Capella degli Scrovengni) and Michelangelo on the dome of the Sistine Chapel.

Johannespassion is an immensely complicated work that showcases the composer’s encyclopaedic knowledge of Scripture, theology and the icons of the Russian Orthodox faith as well as her intense interest in symbolism at both the macro- and microcosmic levels. Gubaidulina’s fascination with mysticism and ritual is also reflected in the composition. There is not the space here to delve deeply and discover every nuance but a relatively general overview will at least provide some insight into her outlook of the Passion.

There were some difficulties involved in setting a Passion according to the rules of the Russian Orthodox church. The primary one was that Church does not allow instruments in church services or any ecclesiastical rituals. Custom avoids any reference to representation by persons or anything of a theatrical nature. Like Protestants, the art of direct experience takes precedence over the art of representation. Unlike Protestants however, Russians view music as an external, technical mediator between God and man rather than a facilitator of worship. This means, of course, that there is no tradition of Passion setting in the Orthodox church. Gubaidulina got around this by viewing the Passion not as a representation but rather a “markedly calm report performed with composure (as is only meet for an ecclesiastical ritual)”

Gubaidulina regards Johannespassion as her magnum opus so it was conceived on a truly grand scale. The work is scored for full symphony orchestra plus auxiliary instruments in every family. It requires two choirs, one twenty-four voice chamber choir and a larger eighty-voice choir. Although there are five soloists, only the tenor and basso profundo are used prominently. Basso profundo is a typically Russian sound and Gubaidulina uses the soloist as a cantor throughout the piece. Despite the large forces, the orchestration is often sparse. The soprano soloist is only needed for one number out of the ninety-minute piece and the alto soloist gets only marginally more material.

Gubaidulina chose St John’s Gospel because it allowed her to present two texts of equal quality. She felt it was desirable to, “sense not only a single hand, but a single spirit in both texts.” The combination of St John’s Gospel, Revelation and various other passages of Scripture swell the libretto to 3000 words; three times the length of Water Passion.

The method used in previous chapters to discuss in extra-textual interpolations in the previous chapters is wholly inappropriate for Johannespassion. Gubaidulina uses fragments of texts from many different portions of the Bible and trying to sort out the meaning of each one in context of the Russian Orthodox faith exceeds the scope of this study.

The discussion of the key events of the Passion from previous chapters is also extremely difficult. The text is written in Cyrillic characters in the score and even though there is an English translation provided in the libretto, differences in syntax between the two languages make it impossible to decipher what is being sung at a specific point in time.

Gubaidulina clearly feels the weight of the material she is setting and tries to convey that through the ritual of the Russian Orthodox Church. The result is a slow, sombre affair that is prone to becoming bogged down by its own intensity. Even with the score in hand it is difficult to wade through the intricate layers of symbolism. It must have been massively overwhelming to try and digest the work in one sitting at the premiere.

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• Wolfgang Rihm: Deus Passus Resources
• Wolfgang Rihm: Deus Passus
• Passions Old And New

Tenebrae read by Paul Celan (English)

Tenebrae by Paul Celan (auf Deutsche)

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• Wolfgang Rihm: Deus Passus
• Sofia Gubaidulina: Johnnespassion
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There are very few texts that can provide more opportunity to explore extreme emotions than the Passion of the Christ. German composer Wolfgang Rihm rose to the challenge and produced a work that empathizes with a suffering God as well as rails against him for his inability to prevent suffering in the modern world. Rihm says, “the Passion is the space in which the suffering God occurs. However, the suffering that has been and still is being thrust into the world in the name of the Christian faith must also be held to account from the vantage point of this space.”

Rihm chose St Luke’s Gospel in particular because it was the one that he felt was “least tinged with anti-Semitism” He felt that it would be impossible now for a German composer to use any of the other Gospels. St Luke’s account differs very little from the ones of St Matthew and St Mark but it has historically been the least favoured among composers of Passion settings. The Gospel details two scenes, the Way of the Cross and Jesus between the thieves, that are not mentioned in the other Gospels and contains three of the Seven Last Words from the Cross.

The bare bones are all that remain in Rihm’s version of the Gospel. He pares away all extraneous information, adjectives and third person interjections like “thus spake” or, “he saith” and leaves only dialogue and skeletal narration. Used less judiciously, this technique could render the story as dull and lifeless but Rihm clearly knew what he was doing. Far from a mere simplification of the story, this reduction frees the Passion from the elaborate prose and rhetoric common to those who use religion as a tool of manipulation. The final version, stripped of any dressing, gives the bare minimum of information required to tell the story but ends up being all the more poignant as listeners are free to form their own conclusions.

Throughout the Passion, Rihm is trying to sort out the paradox of violent acts committed in the name of God. His treatment of the text illustrates that beneath all the baggage attached to faith and the Church as an institution, Christ’s suffering has real meaning that is still relevant for today.

He interpolates only one additional passage of Scripture, Isaiah 53:4-5
. (Track 1) These verses are often used when talking about the Passion because they are the prophecy for which the Crucifixion is the fulfillment. Handel included these verses and two additional ones from Chapter 53 in the third part of his Messiah. In Rihm’s setting, the verses follow the moment of highest dramatic tension. Jesus has died and the crowd has dispersed leaving his ravaged body to hang alone on the hilltop. The text from Isaiah provides a respite from the drama and is a place for the audience to reflect on the brutal nature of Christ’s death.

For the final fragment, Rihm chose to set Tenebrae by Paul Celan (1920-1970). (Track 2) The Romanian born Celan was the leading German language poet after the Second World War. He felt that German language had “passed through the thousand darknesses of death bringing speech” and his writing was focused on purging and remaking the language. Celan was no stranger to the inconceivable cruelties borne by Jews during the war. He lost his parents in a death camp at the start of the war and spent three years in a labour camp himself, managing to survive until it closed in 1943. Written during the war’s immediate aftermath, Tenebrae is a sort of reverse prayer in which the poet rails against God for the horrible injustices witnessed by those imprisoned in the camps.

The anger and bitterness expressed in the poem is in harsh contrast with the hope of Resurrection alluded to in the previous Passion fragment. )Track 3)This juxtaposition of hope and futility makes one wonder if Christ’s suffering was worth it since it appears to have done nothing the ease human pain

To begin his setting, Rihm skips the first three events in St Luke’s account and starts immediately with the Eucharist. (Track 4) Stripped to its bare bones, the text is set without dramatic repetition in a sound world that is reminiscent of Berg.

Christ’s ascent to the Mount of Olives and his Agony in the Garden are compressed into one fragment. (Track 5) The influence of Bach is heard section as Jesus’ words are set in a canon between the tenor and baritone soloists as well as numerous sequences with three quavers leading into the next measure.

The fragment featuring Jesus’ betrayal is quite fascinating. (Track 6) The words, “Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?” are set in a proper chorale. The sudden unambiguous pitch centre and tonal harmony stand out against the more atmospheric fragments that came before. Rihm illustrates the bitterness and disappointment of being betrayed by an intimate friend by having the bass instruments resolve the cadence a half step above the anticipated tonic whilst the upper voices complete the pattern as anticipated.

Peter’s denial of Christ is full of early Baroque resonances. (Track 7) The two most prominent are the chromatic descending line of the lament aria and the use fourth species counterpoint. The descending line in an lament symbolizes death and is a sort of cantus firmus from which the melody is derived. In this fragment, there is no bass line as such so Rihm places the descending phrases in the melody instead. Peter’s accusers are allotted elongated lyrical phrases whilst his responses are short and agitated. The words of Peter’s last accuser are treated with species counterpoint and are sung as a duet between the solo soprano and tenor. Although the some liberties are taken with the intervals of the cantus firmus, the rules of counterpoint are followed fairly stringently and the section ends in a perfect fifth.

Rihm continues his use of counterpoint in the fragment describing Jesus’ trial. (Track The tenor and baritone soloists illustrate the authority and learned nature of Pilate’s position by presenting his judgment in a mirror canon. As Pilate declares that he cannot condemn Jesus, the choir begins to whisper Barabbas’ name. The word is difficult to understand but the hard ‘b’ sound and elongated ‘s’ sound is menacing as portrays the crowd’s aggression. When Pilate tries again to let Jesus go, they begin to alternate “Kreuzige!” (Crucify) with Barabbas. The addition of the hard “k” and “tz” sounds almost seems to intimidate Pilate into submitting to the wishes of the crowd.

Christ’s last words from the Cross are delicately packaged. (Track 9) The three female soloists weave together as one voice and the exquisitely subtle changes in timbre amplify the peaceful nature of the fragment. The line is lyrical and melismatic, getting more rhythmically and melodically intricate as the fragment progresses. The string complement supports the soloists with steady quavers and harmony changes every two or three measures. Rihm adds an extra bit of shimmer by scoring small obbligato passages for cor anglais and oboe.

Deus passus is the other composition from the Passion 2000 Project that alludes to the Resurrection. Like the Water Passion, the connection is very subtle. The text is set very simply as fourteen bar aria for soprano and mezzo soprano to share. It is unaffected and is a gentle prelude to the understated anger and confusion of Tenebrae. (Track 3)

It is not difficult to understand why Rihm chose to imitate Bach in so many ways. since the two share the same cultural heritage and language. Rihm uses the composition as a vehicle to explore suffering, both human and divine as he is tries to work out a place for God in a world full of conflict. Deus passus is still hopeful despite the confusion of Tenebrae. In his composition Rihm shows that beauty and suffering can co-exist in the same space and that perhaps both are necessary for a full human existence.

Like this? Why not try:

• Wolfgang Rihm: Deus Passus Resources
• Sofia Gubaidulina: Johnnespassion
• Passions Old And New

YouTube

Like this? Why not try:

• Osvaldo Golijov: Pasión según San Marcos
• Passions Old And New
• This Week’s Feature: Passion Setting 20th Century Style

It was quite important to Golijov that he present a dark Jesus to as a contrast to the white Jesus that dominates the Western art and music canon. Growing up Jewish in an officially Catholic country left Golijov with a burning curiosity about the dichometric nature of institutional Christianity. In an effort to relate the Passion through the icons of Latin America, Golijov dispenses with the traditional Western orchestra and replaces it with a reduced Latin horn section, accordion, guitar, percussion six violins and six celli. Along with a full choir, there are several male and female soloists, each specialising in a particular sort of Latin singing.

Golijov chose St Mark’s Gospel because he, “knew always that St Mark was safe for the Jews.” St Mark is thought to be the first of the Gospels to be written and used as a reference by the other writers. Like St Matthew, it only contains one of the Seven Last Words from the Cross and is rich in narrative detail. There are some obstacles to be overcome when setting St Mark however. The story is not laid out as one linear event but rather as individual episodes thus making the grouping of events somewhat challenging. To combat this, Golijov has divided the text into thirty-four episodes, the shortest of which lasts a mere thirty-six seconds.

Although Golijov did not model his composition on any existing Passion, his work begins, like Bach’s St Matthew, with an instrumental prelude. The texts that accompany the prelude are taken from the bookends of Jesus’ ministry and illustrate his highest and lowest points. The first text is from his baptism at the very start of his ministry and the second is his last words on the cross.

It is the excerpt of Lamentations however, that is particularly poignant. It is almost certainly a reference to the horrors experienced by Latin Americans at the hands of dictatorial regimes fully endorsed by the Catholic Church. Mothers all over the continent are united with Mary by the grief brought on by torture and murder of their sons.

In addition to the biblical interpolations, there are four others that use material from Latin poets and musicians. The first one, I wish to forswear (Aria of Judas) is a passionate flamenco sung by Brazilian jazz contralto. Judas remorse is not mentioned in St Mark’s version but Golijov uses an anonymous text and a flamenco melody is based on a song by Spanish singer Niña de los Peines to illustrate it. The second interpolation is a hymn of thanks for the Eucharist and is a set of choral variations based on Psalms 113-118 scored for women and drums.

The next interpolation is a poem by Galician writer Rosalía de Castro (1837-1885), called Lúa descolorida (Colourless Moon) This section is subtitled Aria of Peter’s Tears because St Mark writes that after the cock crew, Peter overcome by guilt and remorse and broke down and wept. Once again, grief is expressed by a female soloist. The hauntingly lyrical solo line is supported by the string section and one is reminded of the oratorio arias of Handel.

“I cannot finish it with his last scream–I just cannot do it–so I need a sense of transcendence. It has to be something that makes sense out of all those hallucinatory few days“. Golijov struggled to come up with an appropriate ending to his setting but eventually settled on the Kaddish

There is an interesting bit of scoring in the section where Jesus is betrayed. The narration is divided between four tenor soloists and set to a Cuban swing rhythm. The choir repeatedly interrupts the narration after each clause with the phrase, “Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he!” drawing attention to the fact that Judas used the most intimate of gestures, one reserved for close friends, to identify Jesus to his enemies. The swing rhythm seems somewhat out of place here as it lends a sort of party atmosphere to the scene. Perhaps it would not seem so to those of Latin origin, but it is difficult to associate the disappointment of betrayal and frenzy of the crowd with a score marked funky.

Golijov’s decision to Jesus sentencing as an instrumental movement is somewhat perplexing. The crowd is in a complete frenzy at this point, shouting for Jesus to be crucified and demanding that Barabbas the thief be released instead. One would think that this point of the story would be rife with opportunities for lively rhythms and interesting manipulation of text but instead Golijov chooses to write less than two minutes of uncomplicated rhythm at a moderate tempo with no aural text.

Throughout his setting of the Passion, Golijov tried to write the way Bach would have if he had lived in 20th-century South America. He adopts very little of traditional German Passion writing in terms of form, style or harmony but keeps the spirit of the early Protestants alive by writing a Passion that connects with people in their own language. Pasión según San Marco is truly a passion of the people and although it questions the behaviour of the Church as an institution, it is ultimately about hope and the will to continue despite hardship.

Visit the resource page to see video of a performance and interviews with Osvaldo Golijov.

Tomorrow’s installments are Wolfgang Rihm Deus Passus and Sofia Gubaidulina Johannespassion

Like this? Why not try:

• Passions Old And New
• Osvaldo Golijov: Pasión según San Marcos Resources
• This Week’s Feature: Passion Setting 20th Century Style

Best known for writing the score for the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Chinese-American composer Tan Dun has been making a name for himself over the past twenty-five years with multimedia compositions that strive to fuse the natural world with modern technology, East with West and high art with low.

Of his music, Tan says that “I don’t really have any great interest in the East and West as a dialogue. What I am interested in is trying to find a single language and distinctive style that is made up of many cultures and that can reach many different diverse cultures.” His re-dressing of the Passion is at once simplistically beautiful and patronizingly simple.

Out of all the Gospels, St Matthew is the one most suited to Passion setting. It provides the richest variety of incident and divides easily in to two parts balanced equally in length and dramatic intensity. It is somewhat surprising then, that Tan was so liberal in his editing of the text. There are eighteen separate events in St Matthew’s text but Tan chooses to use only seven. The text is reduced even further within those events as only the spoken words of Christ and his disciples and a bare minimum of narrative material are included. Although this dramatic reduction is intended to represent the simplicity and unclutteredness of popular Buddhism, it is dangerously close to being a highlights-only version that sacrifices depth in its hurry to be unaffected.

Traditionally, the Passion story begins in the twenty-sixth chapter of Matthew with the Last Supper. Tan however, goes all the way back to the third chapter and begins with Christ’s baptism. As its title suggests, the setting is united by the image of water. He says,

So many cultures use water as an essential metaphor — there is the symbolism of baptism; it is associated with birth, creation and re-creation. If you think of the water cycle, where it comes down to earth and returns to the atmosphere, only to return — that is a symbol of resurrection. I think of resurrection not only as a return to life but as a metaphor for hope, the birth of a new world, a better life.

St Matthew contains only one of the Seven Last Words from the Cross so Tan augments the section containing Christ’s death with “I thirst.” and “It is finished.” from St John. In the final fragment of the Passion after Jesus has died, Tan quotes, “a time to love, a time of peace, a time to dance, a time of silence….” from the third chapter of Ecclesiastes.

In addition to the biblical interpolations, Tan wrote seven short texts of his own. All of these are assigned to the chorus and are sung to a sort of chorale tune comprised mainly of both horizontal and vertical perfect fifths. The interval is the most stable after the octave and Tan uses it everywhere as a metaphor for serenity and purity. There are flagrant deviations from traditional Baroque voice leading as Tan has the chorus singing entire lines in parallel fifths. The repeated text and tune unite the work in the same fashion as the chorales in Bach’s setting.

The Eucharist, or Last Supper, is the traditional starting point of a Passion setting. The opening interpolation is sung unaccompanied by the choir in fifths. None of the traditional solo roles (Jesus, Pilate, Evangelist) are assigned to a specific soloist although in this instance, Jesus is being represented by the bass. The music framing the words of Christ is restricted to a pentatonic scale (A, B, D, E, F#) and imitates of the improvisatory nature of Eastern musics.

After Jesus tells the disciples that one of them will betray their master, they panic and demand to know if it they who will do it. Tan represents the panic and confusion quite effectively by having the men of the chorus ask, “Is it I?” in unison rhythm but on a pitch of their choice. Judas is represented here by the soprano soloist, the second time in the setting that Tan gives the role of the antagonist to the woman .

Judas’ betrayal of Jesus in the Garden is one of the tensest moments of the story. Tan responds to the tension by using the tritone exclusively for both the narration and Judas words which are represented alternately by the men of the chorus and the soprano soloist. After this interesting initial treatment of the text, Tan seems to stumble somewhat and sets the words Judas utters after he kisses Jesus (Teacher, may peace be with you) to the same theme he used when Jesus was in the Garden. This incongruous use of motive is puzzling, neither the text nor the speakers are related, and makes one wonder if perhaps Tan just ran out of original material.

The moments surrounding the request for the release of Barabbas are the unquestionably the most compelling of the setting. At the beginning of the score, each chorister was instructed to bring along two flat, smooth stones from a stream or river. The movement begins with the choir rubbing and banging the stones together in rhythm. Solo cello and violin join in with the same rhythm, replacing their bows with guitar picks.

The symbolism of the stones at Jesus’ trial is almost frightening. Death by stoning is agonizingly slow and was the preferred method for killing heretics and adulterers in Jesus’ time. The stones also recall Jesus’ admonishment that, “ He who is without sin cast the first stone” and is sharply juxtaposed with the bloodlust of the crowd. Unfortunately, this engaging beginning is followed by writing that is gimmicky and shallow; unable to fulfill the potential of the opening.

The death of Christ is the culmination of all the hatred, back stabbing and denial of previous incidents and is the event to which all others are subordinate. Bach takes advantage of the obvious dramatic intensity and stretches the event over 196 bars. Tan manages it in 49.

Jesus’ death is the traditional ending point of a Passion setting because it was part of the Good Friday service. The Water Passion is one of the two works in the Passion 2000 Project that breaks with tradition and deals with the Resurrection. It is implied rather than stated in the penultimate interpolation: “A sound is heard in water, the sound of innocence, in darkness, in three days the everlasting waters, tears, are crying for rebirth.”

In this interpolation, a fundamental event of the Christian faith is nearly rendered impotent as it is couched in mystical, New Age/popular Buddhist terms. Following this, is the Ecclesiastical interpolation that many audience members, especially Americans, would recognize this text as the political protest song Turn, Turn, Turn written by Pete Seeger and popularized by The Byrds in the 1960s. It is this sort of writing to the lowest common denominator that prompts critics to dismiss him as a self-indulgent sycophant.

The movement begins with the water percussion beating a steady rhythm over which the chorus sings the “A sound is heard in water….” Each phrase is identical and ends with a perfect fifth. The soothing sound of the water percussion; rising, repetitive motives and text; prevalence of perfect intervals and an extended crescendo result in an incredible five minutes of emotional manipulation. One cannot help but achieve some sort of catharsis as the trance-like rhythm grabs hold. It is brilliant scoring on Tan’s part as it ensures the listener will leave the concert hall feeling good about their experience.

It is difficult to ascertain what exactly Tan is trying to say about the Passion story as it appears that his primary concern is international recognition and record sales. Perhaps Tan is saying that the Passion can no longer stand on its own but rather needs fancy lighting, extended vocal technique, superstar soloists and slick packaging to stay relevant. It certainly illustrates the dilemma of the modern church, which is trying desperately to find ways to keep people coming.

Tomorrow’s Passion setting: Pasión según San Marco by Osvaldo Golijov

Like this? Why not try:

• Passions Old And New
• This Week’s Feature: Passion Setting 20th Century Style
• Sofia Gubaidulina: Johnnespassion

Polyphonic settings of the Passion were first introduced in the 15th century but did not grow in popularity until around 1560. It was the custom to set the entire text polyphonically except for the part of the Evangelist, which was always in plainchant. A lack of delineation between the crowd and principal characters was the main weakness of this type of setting and greatly limited the dramatic quality of the story. Highly elaborate and melismatic writing was part of the Roman tradition and the settings were never meant to have a direct impact on the people. To emerging German Protestants however, personal impact was of utmost importance.

Lutherans On Board
Without a doubt, the most significant event to affect Passion writing was the Protestant Reformation. Although it seems obvious, the importance of this event to Passion writing cannot be over-emphasized. Scripture and hymns were presented for the first time, in the living tongue of the people. Music immediately became subordinate to the text as people began to expect that they would be able to hear and understand the words during Mass. Accompaniment was clear and simple, often with only one note per syllable and the complex rhythms of the polyphonic tradition were streamlined so as not to be distracting.

During the 17th century, interest in Passion setting waned in Catholic countries and it became a distinctly German Protestant activity. Protestant reformers regarded music as an integral part of church life and as a result, a large majority of German composers found themselves employed by the Lutheran church. Many of these composers had been educated in Italy and gradually began to introduce secular elements from the Italian school into the liturgy. The fledgling genre of oratorio had a distinctly sectional structure and was adapted quickly to Passion setting. This was an important development because the oratorio style provided a framework for the interpolation of non-biblical texts which in turn facilitated congregational participation. These extra texts were often set to chorale melodies already familiar to the congregation and were intended as a space for reflecting on the preceding biblical text. Bach uses this technique in his St Matthew Passion and sets meditative text to the tune of O Sacred Head Now Wounded seven times; exactly half of the total number of chorales in the Passion.

The next major development in religious composition was the introduction of instruments. It opened up countless new avenues of expression. Composers could now use combinations of instruments to lend colour to a solo vocal line, add strength to the choral parts by doubling or add interest by writing obbligato parts. Just as the oratorio style had been adopted in Passion writing, another Italian invention, opera, was gradually being incorporated into sacred compositions. The inclusion of recitative dramatically altered the presentation of the character parts (Jesus, Evangelist etc.) because they were now written in way that mimicked actual speech. Although Passions were never staged, the soloists now had a much expanded scope of expression available to portray the drama. In addition to the recitatives, composers also wrote sacred arias to provide another place for reflection on what has just happened. Chorale melodies illustrated what the congregation should be feeling and arias were a vehicle for the characters to express their reaction to the drama.

Bach’s St Matthew’s Passion is a culmination of 1500 years of passion writing. Despite being thought of as stuffy and old fashioned by his contemporaries, Bach displayed his complete mastery of Scripture, theology, hymnody, choral writing, orchestral writing, timbre and texture. The sheer number of forces required is enormous even by 19th-century standards. Bach requires two four-part choruses, and extra soprano chorus, two orchestras and two organs as well as a viola da gamba, two recorders and three different kinds of oboe. In addition to the standard tenor and bass soloists representing the Evangelist and Jesus, Bach stipulates that there be soprano, an alto, tenor and bass soloist from each chorus, bringing the total to an astounding ten. The work contains a large number of meditative interpolations and is as a result much more meditative in nature than Bach’s earlier setting of St John’s Gospel. Without resorting to hyperbolic superlatives, it is fair to say that BWV 244 is one of the most elegantly crafted compositions of the Baroque era and indeed, it is a credit to Bach’s skill that it is still one of the best loved pieces of Western art music 270 years on.

Beyond Baroque
The single most important difference between the Baroque Passions and those of the the 20th century is their purpose. During the time of Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672) and Bach, Kapellmeisters could be expected to set the Gospel accounts annually for use during the services of Holy Week. The settings were meant to be support the liturgy and illustrate the text rather than entertain the congregation. Bach’s employers at Thomaskirche instructed him to, “arrange the music that shall not last too long, and shall be of such a nature as not to make an operatic impression, but rather to incite the listeners to devotion.”

In contrast with Baroque compositions, 20th-century settings were never intended to be part of the Holy Week liturgy but rather a concert hall commentary on Christ’s suffering. Thus, in the modern settings, the audience is relegated to spectating rather than participating as they would in a service. Since the audience members were now passive onlookers, many more liberties could be taken with rhythm, tonality, text and orchestration. Perhaps even more significantly, transferring the performance from the church to the stage meant that composers were now free to experiment with visual as well as aural effects. Things like coloured lighting, costumes and dancing that were taboo in sacred performances became exciting new ways create a multi-sensorial experience.

20th Century
Relative to the Passion wasteland that was the 19th century, the second half of the 20th century was a veritable fountain of productivity. The first major setting was of St Luke’s gospel by Krystoyf Penderecki (b. 1933). It premiered in Germany in March of 1966 and was so well received that it immediately catapulted the previously unknown composer onto the international stage. It was the first Passion composition of any import in the 230 years since Bach’s St Matthew’s Passion was premiered. A true 20th century composition, St Lukas Passion is a “legitimate contemporary expression that overwhelmed its hearers and convinced them that even in a modern setting this 2000 year old text still contained the same mystery and drama that moved men and women during the earliest years of the Church.”

It would take 31 years for another composer to make such an impact with a Passion. Estonian born composer Arvo Pärt (b. 1935) chose to set St John’s Gospel in Latin to restore the neutrality of the text. Passio is a minimalist meditation born of an intensely complicated compositional process based on what Pärt calls, tintinnabuli. He immersed himself in plainchant during the 1970s and became fascinated by the vast sonic possibilities within a single note. Pärt considers the music to be subordinate to the text because “the text is stronger and it has given food for hundreds and thousands of composers and it will continue to do so.”

The Passion 2000 Project is poised to take its place as the next significant contribution to the Passion genre. In 1999, Helmuth Rilling and the Europaïsches Musikfestival Stuttgart commissioned Tan Dun, Osvaldo Golijov, Wolfgang Rihm and Sofia Gubaidulina to write a new setting of the Passion in time for the next year’s 2000th anniversary of Christ’s birth and 250th of JS Bach’s death. Each of the works would reflect what the composer felt was relevant to today both theologically and musically. It would have been quite difficult to choose four composers who were more dissimilar. In addition to their varied compositional style, each grew up in a different country speaking a different language. This, of course, was precisely the point.

It will take time to appreciate what, if any, significance these pieces will have for future writers of Passions. Although it is unlikely that Bach’s St Matthew’s Passion will ever be eclipsed, it is possible that one hundred years from now, there will be some competition for which Passion to program for the upcoming Easter season.

Like this? Why not try:

• This Week’s Feature: Passion Setting 20th Century Style
• Quiz #8 Clue One
• Quiz #8