Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - J.S. Bach - St. John Passion, BWV 245 (2020) [Official Digital Download 24/96]

Suzuki presents the 1749 version of the St. John Passion, a work that underwent many changes since its first performance in 1724. This fourth version, performed at the end of Bach's life, represents his ultimate vision of this great work. (Suzuki includes in an appendix three arias from the 1725 version that Bach removed from this later version.)

Nowhere, in any other historically informed recording of the St. John Passion, does one hear tension and drama as in the opening chorus on this recording. Suzuki's small forces (21 musicians and a choir of 20) and excellent choir, recorded almost perfectly, stand out here and present the essential version of this work. It is interesting to note that Suzuki uses a harpsichord for continuo accompaniment, which most composers do not use, and himself plays the harpsichord for this recording.

This recording is as close to perfection as is possible for this work. Each of the soloists is excellent, beginning with evangelist Gerd Türk, who, in both of the passions, is excellent, and the recitatives in this work take on a scale of intensity that is rarely heard. Counter-tenor Yoshikazu Mera is one of the revelations of the St. John Passion, and his singing of the aria Von den Stricken meiner Sunden is magnificent in its humility and grace. Es ist vollbracht, also sung by Yoshikazu Mera, is such a lucid expression of pathos that one almost wants to turn of the recording after it - it is a tough act to follow. Bass Peter Kooij is superb, and is certainly one of the finest Christs on record in this passion. However, soprano Ingrid Schmithusen lacks the profound depth that some of the other singers show.

But one of the stars of this recording is the choir, magnificent in tone and texture, which Suzuki controls almost perfectly. While there are not many choral movements in this work - with the exception of the short chorales - the two main choral movements, the one that opens the work and the penultimate movement, are performed magically.

"What more can I say, other than that I found myself drawn into the drama from the start, at the same time finding much that struck me as fresh in matters of interpretation, and tonality of great beauty. …this is a major recording event, and an eminently satisfying one." (Gramophone Magazine)

TRACKLIST

1. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 1, Herr, unser Herrscher
2. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 2, Jesus ging mit seinen Jüngern
3. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 3, O große Lieb, o Lieb ohn alle Maße
4. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 4, Auf dass das Wort erfüllet würde
5. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 5, Dein Will gescheh, Herr Gott, zugleich
6. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 6, Die Schar aber und der Oberhauptmann
7. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 7, Von den Stricken meiner Sünden
8. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 8, Simon Petrus aber folgete Jesu nach
9. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 9, Ich folge dir gleichfalls mit freudigen Schritten
10. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 10, Derselbe Jünger war dem Hohenpriester bekannt
11. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 11, Wer hat dich so geschlagen
12. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 12, Und Hannas sandte ihn gebunden
13. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 13, Ach, mein Sinn
14. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 14, Petrus, der nicht denkt zurück
15. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 15, Christus, der uns selig macht
16. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 16, Da führeten sie Jesum
17. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 17, Ach großer König
18. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 18, Da sprach Pilatus zu ihm
19. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 19, Betrachte, meine Seel, mit ängstlichem Vergnügen
20. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 20, Erwäge, wie sein blutgefärbter Rücken
21. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 21, Und die Kriegsknechte flochten eine Krone
22. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 22, Durch dein Gefängnis, Gottes Sohn
23. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 23, Die Jüden aber schrieen und sprachen
24. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 24, Eilt, ihr angefochtnen Seelen
25. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 25, Allda kreuzigten sie ihn
26. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 26, In meines Herzens Grunde
27. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 27, Die Kriegsknechte aber
28. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 28, Er nahm alles wohl in acht
29. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 29, Und von Stund an nahm sie der Jünger zu sich
30. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 30, Es ist vollbracht
31. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 31, Und neiget das Haupt und verschied
32. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 32, Mein teurer Heiland
33. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 33, Und siehe da, der Vorhang im Tempel zeriss
34. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 34, Mein Herz, indem die ganze Welt
35. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 35, Zerfließe, mein Herze
36. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 36, Die Jüden aber, dieweil es der Rüsttag war
37. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 37, O hilf, Christe, Gottes Sohn
38. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 38, Darnach bat Pilatum Joseph von Arimathia
39. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 39, Ruht wohl, ihr heiligen Gebeine
40. Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki - St. John Passion, BWV 245: No. 40, Ach Herr, lass dein lieb Engelein



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