Hearing Bachs Passions

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if they were disposed as concertists and ripienists in a single-choir work.
In a passion in which Chorus 1 dominates the narrative, Chorus 2 joins
that ensemble for reinforcement in choral Gospel numbers and cho-
rales. In these kinds of movements there is thus effectively no differ-
ence in vocal scoring between the St. Matthew Passion and the St. John.
The double-chorus disposition of the former simply disappears.
Chorus 2 does participate independently in some Gospel choruses
but not equally with Chorus 1. Four of the six Gospel choruses for one
choir only are entrusted to Chorus 1 (significantly including those for
the individually identifiable disciples), and only two to Chorus 2. Even
the antiphonal Gospel choruses in which both choirs participate are less
than they seem. Three of the largest such pieces begin antiphonally but
move to unison writing for the two choirs after just a few measures,
The Double Chorus in the St. Matthew Passion BWV 244 55
making them effectively single-choir movements doubled with ripieno
voices, just like the unison pieces. (They are Der du den Tempel Gottes
zerbrichst, Andern hat er geholfen, and Herr, wir haben gedacht. )
At the least these pieces show that Bach did not make much use of his
double-choir forces even in these long and important Gospel settings.
A handful of Gospel choruses are truly antiphonal; in them, the two
vocal and instrumental ensembles trade statements back and forth
equally. But each is very short, and they do not attempt to sustain the
double-chorus exchange over more than a few measures. Overall it is
startling to discover just how little double-chorus writing there is in
this double-chorus passion setting.
But of course there are movements in the St. Matthew Passion in which
the two vocal ensembles have distinct roles, and in fact they are the
most characteristic pieces the ones that define the St. Matthew Passion s
particular identity. They are poetic dialogue movements (listed in table
3 1) in which the two choruses speak in the voices of allegorical char-
acters: the Daughter of Zion (or simply Zion, variously understood as
representing Jerusalem, her inhabitants, or followers of Jesus) and the
Believers. These pieces (almost all of which are usually found on high-
light recordings) appear at some of the most important points in the
Passion, including the opening and closing numbers (technically arias
for chorus) and the beginning of Part 2. They have in common their
poetic texts cast as dialogues between the two characters, and their
musical use of both choruses.
Dialogues themselves are not foreign to German passion settings, but
the double-chorus scoring of the St. Matthew Passion allows Bach to
realize them by pitting one, two, or four solo voices against a second
complete vocal ensemble in four parts. In the opening chorus Kommt,
ihr T�chter, the double vocal forces give Bach the resources to present
a command uttered by Chorus 1 ( Sehet! [ See! ]), a countering
question from Chorus 2 ( Wen? [ Whom? ]), and an answer to that
question in the first ensemble ( den Br�utigam [ the bridegroom ]).
The tenor of Chorus 1 sings the recitative O Schmerz accompanied
by an instrumental ensemble drawn from his side, and is answered by
phrases of a chorale harmonization scored (as in the St. John Passion s
Mein teurer Heiland ) for a four-part ensemble of voices and dou-
bling instruments provided by Chorus 2. In the aria Ich will bei
meinem Jesu wachen paired with O Schmerz, Bach retains the
chorale-like texture introduced in Chorus 2 and contrasts it with the
oboe and solo vocal lines in the aria in Chorus 1.
56 Passions in Performance
The duet So ist mein Jesus nun gefangen ( Thus is my Jesus now
captured ) is sung by the soprano and alto of Chorus 1, who are inter-
rupted by a full ensemble in Chorus 2 ( La�t ihn! haltet! bindet nicht!
[ Let him go! Stop! Do not bind him! ]); its second part, Sind Blitze,
sind Donner, exceptionally uses the two four-part ensembles equally.
In the aria Ach! nun ist mein Jesus hin, which opens Part 2 of the
Passion, Chorus 2 provides a motet on texts from the Song of Songs to
complement the poetic aria sung in Chorus 1. The aria Sehet, Jesus
hat die Hand ( Look, Jesus has [stretched out] his hand ) pits the so-
prano from Chorus 1 against the whole ensemble of Chorus 2, the lat-
ter repeatedly interjecting the questions Wohin? ( Whither? ) and
Wo? ( Where? ). (Note that its paired recitative Ach Golgatha
does not make any use of Chorus 2.) In the recitative Nun ist der Herr
zu Ruh gebracht, the next-to-last number in the St. Matthew Passion,
each of the singers in Chorus 1 presents a line and is answered by the
whole of Chorus 2. The final tutti aria, Wir setzen uns mit Tr�nen
nieder, uses Chorus 2 to answer phrases sung by Chorus 1 and to pro-
vide an accompanying refrain.
Chorus 2 makes its presence particularly felt in these movements,
but even in them the two vocal ensembles are used asymmetrically.
Chorus 1 always takes the lead, whereas Chorus 2 always interrupts or
offers commentary; nowhere does Chorus 1 support material presented
principally in Chorus 2. This difference may be connected with the
dialogue poetry itself, in that Chorus 1 is associated with an individual
allegorical character, the Daughter of Zion, whereas Chorus 2 repre-
sents a collective group of Believers. The distinction in number in-
dividuals as opposed to a group is musically reflected in Bach s
consistent use of Chorus 2 as a complete soprano-alto-tenor-bass en-
semble, in contrast to his tendency to use the voices of Chorus 1 indi-
vidually in dialogue numbers (though they are also used in one duet
and as a complete group in the opening and closing choruses). The
difference in their status is manifested in the role Chorus 2 plays, al-
ways responding to Chorus 1. (The two ensembles have equivalent roles
only in Sind Blitze, sind Donner, the only poetic movement in the
Passion in which Chorus 2 is treated as a musical equal of Chorus 1.) [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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