Friday 25 March 2016

Maundy Thursday 24th March 2016 - St Matthew Passion

Okay, yes, I am writing this on Friday.

But it is all about yesterday, so there you are.

I tripped across a reference to the St Matthew Passion in something someone had written about it - now I'm going to have to track back. Was it in twitter? In a blog? A facebook post? Anyway, the writer commented on the final chorus, "In tears of grief", where, just before the choir comes in, there is an ascending scale by the cellos and basses an unexpected note which always affected her very deeply when she heard it. So I had to go and look at my score, and I think this is what she means:


The last note from the orchestra before the choir sing is not what your ear is expecting.

I also discovered that the last time I paid any attention to the St M Passion was back in 1974, when, as a sixth former, I sang it in Winchester Cathedral. I remember the occasion well.

Well, all this discussion may be of zero interest of you. But, stay with me, in my researching, I came across this youtube of the complete Mattau Passion (because it is all auf Deutsch) which is wunderbar, and I spent most of yesterday listening to it, and trying to buy the recording.

I can't find this actual recording, but have bought another with Ian Bostridge and Andras Scholl and am keeping my fingers crossed that it is anyway near as good.

Here's the youtube - do, do listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm1os4VzTgA

I've also sent off for a recording of the Mozart Requiem, as I really don't like the one we have. I'll let you know...

1 comment:

  1. Mmm...You've sent me diving back to my last year's A-Z as I linked to the final chorus, although it certainly wasn't me that mentioned that particular phrase. But thank you for introducing me to another recording of the St Matthew Passion.

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