We are back in the 40 days of Lent, the quiet time, in which no cantatas were allowed to be performed in church. Johann Sebastian Bach therefore had his hands free to compose the St. John Passion. In the coming weeks, the episodes of Infinity without Bach will focus on the Passions.
First up is the ‘Markus Passion’ by composer and musicologist Nikolaus Matthes from Basel. Last year, we already had a conversation with him in our podcast Bach & Co, in which he talks about his new Markus Passion, based on the original text by Picander (pseudonym of Christian Friedrich Henrici). He used Bach’s idiom and chose a line-up of experienced Bach musicians. Because we find this work so special, we are broadcasting it again in three episodes of Infinity without Bach, with the last part on Monday 7th April.
“What an honour and what a joy to be on Concertzender again this year with “Markuspassion”. Many, many thanks to everyone involved! I wish you all an uplifting Passiontide and a happy Easter – and I hope that many of you can be there when we give our guest appearance at the Bach Festival in Leipzig in June 2027, or even earlier: at the German premiere in Göttingen in March 2026″. – Nikolaus Matthes
If you would also like to hear our conversation with Nikolaus in Bach & Co, listen to part 1 and part 2. Listen: No Day Without Bach, part 3 Monday 7th April 2025, 13:00 – 14:00
Then there is Picander’s Passion Oratorio in two parts, a reconstruction by Alexander Grychtolik. Bach and Picander worked together, so it is very likely that Bach also knew the text of the Passion Oratorio. Alexander Grychtolik recorded the CD with Il Gardellino.
You can listen to it here: part 1 and part 2, or listen to the repeat on Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th April at 13:00.
And last but not least: the St. John Passion in ‘Bach & Co’, for those who can’t get enough of it. Govert Jan Bach has made an audiobook about the St. John Passion. We have edited this audiobook for Bach & Co and this will be heard in a number of episodes.
You can listen to part 1 here. Don’t want to miss any episodes? Then subscribe to ‘Bach & Co’ on our website or via your podcast platform.
