The custom of performing the Passion in an epic and dramatic form during Holy Week is exceedingly ancient. It exists still in the Catholic Church in an ancient traditional way, consisting of the relation of the gospel narrative by one singer, the speeches of Jesus by another, while a third represents the crowd called turba. Music and the dramatic element are little represented, and the performers only make use of accent or intonations. In the Reformed Church the performance of the Passion in German, and in artistic style, did not take place earlier than the last half of the sixteenth century. Winterfeld finds the earliest Passion music arranged for chorus after the Gospel of St Matthew in Keuchenthal’s Gesangbuch, Wittenberg, 1573. A short instrumental piece precedes it and another closes it, and for the rest, only the words of the turba are allotted to chorus. A similar work is the Passion according to St John, which is found in Selneccer’s Gesangbuch, 1587, but here there are hymns to be sung by the congregation.
The Passion according to St John, of Bartholomäus Gese, 1588, begins with a five voice chorus, followed by the gospel narration by a tenor in Plainsong. The words of Christ are usually sung by four chorus voices, the words of Peter and Pilate by three voices, those of the maid and servant of the High Priest by two voices, the turba are in five voices, and a five voice chorus concludes the work.
Heinrich Schütz, 1585-1672, in whose “Resurrection of the Lord” modern forms are found, has very sparingly used similar forms in his Passions according to all four Evangelists, but chiefly in the concluding choruses. The Passions in Vopelius’ Gesangbuch, 1682, show that the early forms were still in use at that date.
The Passion of Capellmeister Johann Sebastiani, 1672, at Königsberg, shows an advance in form here and there; and here also for the first time do we find the artistic use of hymn tunes, while in Schütz only the final movements of his Passions have any connection with the chorale. The biblical narrative is no longer in plainsong, but recitative, accompanied either by two violins or two violas and bass, and this is the first example of instrumental accompaniment in a Passion music. The turba are in four voice chorus, with a fifth part in high tenor for the Evangelist. Two violins, four violas and bass always accompany him. The hymns are directed only to have their melodies sung, the remaining parts being played by the strings.
A remarkable appearance was that of the Passion oratorios at Hamburg, in which Handel, Keiser and Mattheson introduced the regular song forms, the recitative, aria, and the duet of the opera, and in such a method as only could be performed by very highly trained singers. At first the words of Scripture in their original formed the basis.
In 1704, however, an entirely new departure was made in “The bleeding and dying Jesus” of Reinhold Keiser, with words by Hunold-Menantes. Here there was no Evangelist, nor were words of the Scripture introduced, but three cantatas or soliloquies, similar to dramatic scenes, took an important place. They were called the “Lamentation of Mary,” the “Tears of Peter,” and the “Lovesong of the Daughter of Zion.”
The novelty, which excited the fiercest criticism and raised a great contest, did not take root, although through its means a new way was opened up. For this attempt led the Hamburg Councillor Brockes to write a musical poem of a similar kind, in which the evangelist was retained in order to fill the gaps between the scenes.
This composition, which was greatly admired, was set to music by Keiser, and afterwards by Handel, Mattheson and Telemann. The first performance of Keiser’s setting took place in Holy week in 1712, and it is of special interest, since Bach took some of the words for the arias in his St John Passion.
Passion Settings