premieres: 1724 St John Passion; 1727 St Matthew Passion)2
Nicolaikirche 1724
Thomaskirche 1727
Leipzig, Good Friday
At a quarter to two, the bells of the City Churches begin to toll: the citizens of Leipzig are called to gather for Vespers. Around two o’clock, the organ takes over and intones the chorale Da Jesus an dem Kreuze stund (“When Jesus was crucified” )
All stanzas are sung, the first and last one inviting the congregation to “muse upon the wounds and words of the Man of Sorrows.” That’s exactly what they are going to do, assisted by the power of ‘Music’…
As they close their hymnals, the Hauptmusic begins. All musicians and singers are positioned at the rear (west-side) of the Church: on the Organ Loft (St. Thomas), in the ‘schoolboys-loft’ in the St. Nicolai (yellow arrow – the red one points to the organ). The Hauptmusik, the Passion, can begin.
Organ musicians royal loft
It must have taken them by surprise, in 1724, with Bach’s first offering (St. John Passion): Herr, unser Herrscher. And in 1727, entirely different in atmosphere but equally breathtaking: the instrumental lamento (feel the heartbeat) that opens the St. Matthew Passion: Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen… (“Come, ye daughters, help me mourn”), followed by the dramatic dialogue: Sehet! — “Wen?” “Den Bräutigam… etc. and then, rising from primeval depths, far above the musical flood, the sopranos singing in unison: O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig (“O innocent Lamb of God”).1 This opening chorus lasts nearly ten minutes. It heralds the Gospel narrative, in which recitatives alternate with crowd choruses, chorales, and arias. After the figured chorale O Mensch, bewein dein’ Sünde groß (“O man, lament thy grievous sin”)—inserted only in the 1736 version, having been plucked from the St. John Passion—the first part concludes. In earlier versions, a simple SATB chorale, Jesum lass ich nicht von mir (“I shall not let go of Jesus”), closed the first half, as is the case in the St. John Passion with ‘Petrus, der nicht denket zurück (“Peter, who doesn’t remember”)
And then: silence.
After a brief pause, the grand organ begins once more, playing the pulpit hymn: Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend.
Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend,
dein’ Heilgen Geist du zu uns send;
mit Hilf und Gnad er uns regier
und uns den Weg zur Wahrheit führ.
Tu auf den Mund zum Lobe dein,
bereit das Herz zur Andacht fein,
den Glauben mehr, stärk den Verstand,
dass uns dein Nam werd wohlbekannt,
bis wir singen mit Gottes Heer:
„Heilig, heilig ist Gott der Herr!“
und schauen dich von Angesicht
in ewger Freud und selgem Licht.
Lord Jesus Christ, be present now,
our hearts in true devotion bow,
your Spirit send with grace divine,
and let your truth within us shine.
Unseal our lips to sing your praise,
our souls to you in worship raise,
make strong our faith, increase our light,
that we may know your name aright.
Until we join the hosts that cry,
“Holy are you, O Lord Most High!”
And in the light of that blest place
fore’er behold you face to face.
tr. Catherine Winkworth
In the meantime the priest walks towards the pulpit and ascends it. For many in attendance, this is the heart of the service: the sermon, often lasting an hour. Here, the Passion narrative is transformed into meditation: reflections on personal life, suffering, and the redemptive power of Christ’s own. After the sermon, the music resumes. Recitatives, arias, choruses, and chorales follow one another once more, until the story reaches Joseph of Arimathea’s garden, where the tomb is sealed. The St. Matthew Passion ends with the final chorus: Wir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder (“We sit down in tears”), closing with the words sanfte Ruh—gentle rest. In the St. John Passion, angelic voices transport the soul to paradise: O Herr, lass dein lieb Engelein. Those who have listened—attuned in breath and spirit—will have undergone catharsis.
But Vespers are not yet over.
The finest singers rise again to perform the motet Ecce quomodo moritur justus (probably by Jacob Handl/Gallus, but this is not stated explicitly). This ancient part (responsory) of Vesper liturgy, composed in rich polyphony, deepens the emotional resonance stirred by the Baroque music. It evokes the image of how the just (‘tsaddiq’) die. On earth, no ones takes notice, but in heaven (s)he is received in peace.
Then the priest rises once more. Two altaristen (clergyman who assist the priest) sing the Passion versicles (derived from Isa 53) like:
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
After which the priest continues with the Oratio collecta—a prayer summarising the experience, helping the assembly internalise what has transpired.
Then all rise. And after a final blessing, the congregation departs, singing the closing chorale Nun danket alle Gott (“Now thank we all our God”), the traditional end of the Vesper liturgy. The entire ceremony would have lasted approximately four hours, filling the whole of the afternoon.
Good Friday 2025, Dick Wursten
[2] All information about the order of the Good Friday vesper is based on one source: the description of a sexton (custos) of StThomas Church, Johann Christoph Rost. For completeness the original text (nr. 180 in NBA BachDokumente II). The reference is to 1721 (first performance of Kuhnau’s Passion, but the sexton explicitly says that this order is repeated (het writes Item) in the following years. The reference to the chorale ‘O Lamm Gottes unschuldig‘ at the end of the first halve of the Passion, in my interpretation, not necessarily refers to a hymn sung by the assembly, but can also refer to the closing chorale of Kuhnau’s Passion, part I (text and score not extant).
Aö. 1721. ward am CharFreytag in der vesper, die Passion zum 1sten mahl Musiciret, np. I. Viertel auf 2. wurde gelautet mit dem gantzen gelaute, als ausgelautet, wurd auf dem Chor, das Lied gesungen Da Jesus an den Creütze stund etc, dann ging gleich die Musicirte Passion an, und ward vor der Predigt halb gesungen diese Helffte schloße sich mit dem verß, ô Lamb Gottes unschuldig, damit ging der Prister auf die Cantzel. auf der Cantzel ward a[uch] Herr Jesu Christ dich zu uns wend gesungen. Nach der Predigt dann ging die andere Helffte der Music an, als solche aus, ward die Motete Ecce quomodo moritur justus etc gesungen, alsdenn der Passions verß intoniret u. Colle[c]te gesprochen. alsdenn Nun dancket alle Gott gesungen.
P.S.
In 2002 – reprinted 2023, open access now, Denis Laborde did a similar exercise, but his sketch is wanting, for not based on sound historical scholarship. Since his sketch is quite popular, and (re-)produces popular opinions, some remarks: 1. Contrary to what he suggests, no orchestra and singers were placed near the altar – all were on the organ loft (he refers to St. Matthew Passion). 2. The community did not join in in singing the Chorales during a Cantate/Oratorio/Passion. 3. His phrase “In the clamor of the two orchestras playing at both ends of the nave, in the chaos of the two choirs responding to each other in waves of dissonances, while in the center the congregation struck up their Lutheran chorales…” is ludicrous. 4. The community didn’t sing the motet ‘Ecce quomodo moritur’. 5. His inventio (which is also the conclusio, so caveat!) that this performance provoked a clash with Bach’s superiors about the ‘operatic’ character of Church music, is widespread but not correct. Verify your references. Source: Denis Laborde, The unbearable sound: the strange career of musicoclashes, , Iconoclash. Beyond the images war. Cambridge, Massachusetts, MIT Press, 2002 : 253- 280.
P.S. 2: A book about liturgical praxis in Saxony by Christian Geber is the source. Here the original quote
“Als in einer vornehmen Stadt diese Paßions-Music mit 12 Violinen, vielen Hautbois [Oboen], Fagots und anderen Instrumenten mehr, zum erstenmal gemacht ward, erstaunten viele Leute darüber und wußten nicht, was sie daraus machen sollten. Auf einer Adelichen Kirch-Stube [Empore] waren viele Hohe Ministri und Adeliche Damen beysammen, die das erste Passions-Lied aus ihren Büchern mit großer Devotion sungen: Als nun diese theatralische Music angieng, so geriethen alle diese Personen in die größte Verwunderung, sahen einander an und sagten: Was soll daraus werden? Eine alte Adeliche Wittwe sagte: “Behüte Gott, ihr Kinder! Ist es doch, als ob man in einer Opera-Komödie wäre.” – Aber alle hatten ein Mißfallen daran und führten gerechte Klage darüber.” (Christian Gerber, Historie der Kirchen-Ceremonien in Sachsen (1732).
Gerber is a pietist and indeed a critic of concerted music in Church. But this quote doesnot refer to Bach in Leipzig. Why not? Gerber refers to the first time a concerted Passion is performed (In Leipzig this was 1717 – Neue Kirche; 1721 Thomas Kirche – Bach’s firstling is only in 1724). NB: Gerber recounts the story in a general way ‘in einer vornehmen Stadt’ (in a noble city). In this book he is always specific when he refers to Leipzig or Dresden. Of course, that many conservative people objected to Bachs modern music’, will be correct, but facts should be distinguished from fiction, otherwise the truth will get lost.