Bach's 'Saint Matthew Passion'

Video Link of the Full Performance with English Subtitles

Jarrod Richey

Apr 3, 2023

A few months back, I wrote a post titled “Hope in Song: Two Musical Sermons from J. S. Bach.”

Musically Speaking

Hope in Song

The So-Called “Fifth Evangelist” Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) has periodically been referred to as “The Fifth Evangelist.” This comes partly because of his practice of building into his music a “resonant witness”—to repurpose a book title from music & biblical scholar Jeremy Begbie. This musical witness comes by way of layering meaning beyond just p…

7 months ago · 7 likes · Jarrod Richey

In this piece, I referenced the fact that Bach’s St. Matthew Passion had done some amazing evangelism in Japan through the work of Masaaki Suzuki. Well, this post is a follow-up. Here we are in Holy Week. If you are unfamiliar with Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, I suggest you make time this Thursday/Friday to see and listen to the work, preferably with subtitles. It’s a glorious passion setting of Matthew 26–27, complete with a double choir and double orchestra set in rich text painting that only Bach could do.

Bookmark this link for later in the week and plan to watch this performance with the subtitles. You could break it up or watch it in one sitting. Either way is worth it. It is a worthwhile way to finish Holy Week as you look forward to Easter Sunday.