The German Ensemble Polyharmonique recorded a St. John Passion from the German composer Christoph Demantius. He published this work in 1631, together with the ‘Weissagung des Leiden und Sterben Jesu Christi’. We will listen to both works in the coming hour.
This time not the familiar St. John Passion from Bach, heard so often during the Passiontide, but instead the St.Johan passion from Christoph Demantius. This German composer lived about a hundred years before Bach.
This work has no soloists, no orchestra, no recitatives, arias and chorals. Demantius used solely the text as written in the Gospel of John, without any additions. It is a so called motet Passion, which means that the entire text is set polyphonic. The words of the people in the story, like Jesus, Pilate and Peter, are polyphonic and not sung by soloists (like in Bach’s work). Demantius did put in some contrast, for example by using low voices for Pilate’s words.
We start with the “Weissagung des Leiden und Sterben Jesu Christi”, a work that Demantius published together with his St. John Passion in 1631. This composition is a musical setting of part of the 53rd chapter of the Book of Isaiah (from the Old Testament), which has long been considered to be a prophecy of the suffering of Jesus.
These two works are followed by two pieces from Andreas Hammerschmidt (1611-1675), who also worked in Freiburg. He was an organist there at St. Peters Church from 1635 till 1639.
We finish with a cantata from Dieterich Buxtehude: Fürwahr, er trug unsere Krankheit. These are the same words at the start of Demantius’s Weissagung.
Christoph Demantius (1567-1643)
1. Weissagung des Leiden und Sterben Jesu Christi
2. Passion nach dem Evangelisten Johannes
Andreas Hammerschmidt (1611-1675)
3. Ach, Jesus stirbt (HaWV 659)
4. Erbarm dich mein, o Herre Gott (HaWV 139)
Ensemble Polyharmonique conducted by Alexander Schneider
(CD: “Johannes-Passion” – CPO 555 583-2, 2025)
Dieterich Buxtehude (1673-1707)
5. Fürwahr, er trug unsere Krankheit (BuxWV 31)
Ricercar Consort conducted by Philippe Pierlot
(CD: “Salvator Mundi” – Mirare MIR 668, 2023)
In addition:
Dieterich Buxtehude
6. Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder (BuxWV 178)
Harald Vogel, organ
(CD: “Orgelwerke Vol. 1” – Dabringhaus und Grimm MD+G L 3268, 1987)
