Opening Chorus (No. 1)

Bach’s St. Matthew Passion opens with a monumental choral fantasy that lays out the architecture for the entire work, through a dialog between the two choirs: one representing “the Daughters of Zion” (“Die Töchter Zion” – Jerusalem and its people, and, indirectly, everybody involved in the actual events of the Passion story) and the other one representing “the Faithful” (“Die Gläubigen” – the listeners, or present-day community of believers).

The two orchestras start out as one, with a mourning E minor theme that begins low and climbs gradually, on top of a relentless “beating heart” by the bass, resembling a tombeau or funeral procession. As the tension mounts and the mourning theme keeps climbing, the flutes and oboes of the two orchestras suddenly divide and anticipate the dialog. Choir 1 takes the lead extending an invitation to Choir 2 (“Come, you daughters, help me to lament”), to which Choir 2 responds with questions (“Wen?”, “Wie?”) and receives answers.

As this dialog is unfolding, there’s another surprise – the children’s choir soars on top of the whole structure with the chorale tune to the German Agnus Dei (“O Lamm Gottes unschuldig”) which shines a bright G major, representing hope, on top of the E minor underneath, which represents despair and is still the predominant tonality.

Midway through the movement, a “B” section states additional questions and answers, which this time are put in even sharper relief via a broken motif in the orchestra and triple enunciation by different voices in Choir 2, furthering its fragmentation.

As the choral tune reaches its final verse, the choirs and orchestras come together, restating the initial text. After a final set of “Wen?”, “Wie?” questions and answers, they finish the movement jointly on the invocation “als wie ein Lamm!” (“like a lamb!”).

The Plot to Kill Jesus (Nos. 2-4b)

Right after the powerful introduction, the Evangelist takes the lead to start the narrative, which comes literally from the St. Matthew Gospel in Luther’s translation of the Bible. The narration starts with Chapter 26, which opens with Jesus telling his disciples about the events to come, and the High Priests plotting their next moves.

Many of the musical elements used throughout the SMP are brought into play right away: the secco recitatives of the Evangelist; the “halo” that Bach gives Jesus by accompanying his recitatives with strings; the first chorale interjected right after Jesus’ first utterance; and then further narration with the choir changing persona from representing the community in the chorale, to impersonating a group of people in the plot. In this case the group is the high priests and elders, talking and discussing among themselves, an effect obtained by setting up a dialog between the two choirs.

The chorale we hear in this scene appears three times in the Passion and its melody, by Johann Crüger, dates from 1630.

Matthew 26, 1-5

A Woman Anoints Jesus (Nos. 4c-6)

The next scene also starts with the Evangelist, narrating how, in Bethany, a woman comes to Jesus with an expensive perfume and anoints him. This triggers a strong reaction of disapproval by the disciples, impersonated by the choir. It’s interesting to observe that in this case, this being a smaller group of people, Bach uses Coro 1 only. After the choir’s intervention, the Evangelist resumes the narration and we hear Jesus again, as expected with string accompaniment.

The action stops at this point for a new kind of element – an arioso/aria pair in which the solo voice (an alto in this case) impersonates the believer and reflects on the episode just narrated. Picander sets the text in the first person. It reflects on the disciples’ quarrel and draws a parallel between the afflicted listener’s tears and the woman’s perfume. There is beautiful word painting in the arioso, where the descending motifs in the flutes illustrate the sadness and tears, and also in the B section of the aria, where the “drops of tears” are depicted with staccato descending thirds.

Matthew 26, 6-13

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus (Nos. 7-8)

The short scene that follows includes one intervention by the Evangelist, and we also hear Judas for the first time. The story narrates how Judas agrees to take 30 silver coins in exchange for betraying Jesus.

The action is immediately interrupted by a soprano aria accompanied by flutes, strings and continuo, equating Judas with a serpent. Observe the twisted melody line for the word “Schlange” (“serpent”).

Interestingly, the aria is set for Coro 2. One explanation for this offered by some scholars is that as a general rule, texts and emotions that reject the events in the narration, and are consequently more removed from the action, are set for Coro 2. This could also have been related to the physical location that Bach was anticipating for each of the two coros in St. Thomas.

Matthew 26, 14-16

Passover with the Disciples and the Last Supper (Nos. 9-13)

The next scene includes two interventions of Coro 1 impersonating the disciples. First, they ask Jesus where they should set up the Passover meal. Then, when sat at the table, Jesus announces that one of the disciples is going to betray him, and the choir anxiously asks “Herr, bin ich’s?” (“Lord, is it me?”).

At this point, the narration is interrupted by a reflective chorale in which the text, again in the first person, has the listener own the betrayal and assuming punishment for it. The hymn utilized here is by Paul Gerhardt, from 1647, and it will appear one more time, in a different key, in Part 2 of the Passion.

The Evangelist continues after the chorale, narrating the exchange in which Jesus confirms that Judas will be the one to betray him.

Without interruption, the Evangelist narrates Jesus’ institution of the Eucharist. This is highlighted by setting Jesus’ words as an extensive arioso, followed by an arioso/aria pair for the soprano in Coro 1. The soprano’s arioso illustrates the image of the believer’s heart “swimming in tears” with undulated patterns in the oboes, and remarkably, sadness turns into joy as a reaction to the Eucharist. The aria is the only genuinely joyful music in the Passion – an animated dance-like meter with the 2 oboes accompanying the voice with imitative patterns. The text incorporates the religious/erotic imagery from the Song of Songs of the soul and Jesus becoming one.

Matthew 26, 17-29