As Robert Reilly reminded us in this morning’s article, Holy Week is an incredibly rich time, both liturgically and musically. And for me, Good Friday is certainly the high/(low?)-water mark. For the last 15 years or so, I’ve tried to take the time to listen to one of the Bach Passions from beginning to end. Kids (and various other obligations) have left me with a somewhat spotty track record, but even a partial effort is very rewarding.
The St. Matthew Passion will always be the definitive Good Friday sacred work for me, just as The Passion of Joan of Arc will always be the definitive Good Friday film. But the St. John Passion runs a close second. It’s not as moving, to my ears, but it is far more dramatic. And the contrast with the longer Matthew is most instructive.
Here, courtesy of YouTube, is the first segment of Masaaki Suzuki leading Bach Collegium Japan in a live version of St. John Passion. (A playlist of the entire recording can be found here.)
Orthodox. Faithful. Free.
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