The Classical Music Book

105

Bach and three of his sons pose for

a portrait (1730) by Balthasar Denner.

Bach had 20 children, and from the early

1500s to the late 1700s, his family

produced more than 70 musicians.

and alto bemoan Jesus’s fate

in resigned tones. In contrast,

the chorus demands his release,

creating an extraordinary tension

between the two moods. While the

resignation continues, the chorus,

which may depict the disciples

or the congregation, gets more

agitated, and the orchestra drives

the music forward to a breathless

conclusion. The ending of this

section in the major key might

seem surprising, underpinning as it

does the words “murderous blood.”

It is suggested, however, that the

music might be reminding the

listener that while the story is one

of suffering, without the capture of

Jesus, his Crucifixion—and thereby

salvation—is not possible.

Elsewhere, many of the more

contemplative texts, such as the

chorale “Ich bin’s ich sollte büssen”

(“It is I who should suffer”) or the

bass aria “Mache dich, mein Herze,

rein” (“Make thyself clean my

heart”), encourage listeners to feel

the emotion and identify with the

drama. The most striking example

is perhaps the aria “Erbarme dich,

mein Gott” (“Have mercy Lord, my

God”). The simplicity of the lilting

rhythm, accompanied by a

lamenting violin, underpins and

emphasizes the intensity of Peter’s

sense of horror and guilt at his

betrayal of Jesus, as he repeats

the 17 words of the text with

increasing anguish.

The St. Matthew Passion

received only a handful of

performances in Bach’s lifetime.

The newer Classical style had

begun to revolutionize musical

composition and enjoyment, and

the composer was considered to

be behind the times in writing

contrapuntal music of this kind.

Bach’s legacy

By the end of Bach’s life, his music

was called “learned” in the most

pejorative sense; the music of his

son Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach was

better known. Very little of Bach’s

music was printed, although the

keyboard works were sometimes

studied; Ludwig van Beethoven

(1770–1827) often performed fugues

and preludes from Bach’s The Well-

Tempered Clavier. However, major

works such as the St. Matthew

Passion existed only in hand-

copied examples within a very

small circle of admirers, some of

whom had been his students.

It was through such a group that

Mendelssohn came to study Bach’s

works in the early 19th century

and put on a performance of the

St. Matthew Passion in 1829. This

performance, although a landmark

in the revival of Bach’s music, was

neither complete nor authentic, but

it did help to raise awareness of

Bach’s work. It was not long before

societies were created to publish

and perform his work. Today, the

St. Matthew Passion is frequently

presented as a staged work; with

its similarities to opera, it can have

a powerful effect on audiences. ■

BAROQUE 1600 –1750

The most beautiful piece

of music ever written

for the violin.

Yehudi Menhuin

Describing “Erbarme dich, mein Gott”

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