St. Matthew Passion BWV 244b

Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, as we know it today, evidently had a long history dating back before 1727. It is unclear whether the work performed at the Thomaskirche on Good Friday 1729 was based on a still earlier version. Whatever the case, the surviving version of 1729 presents the work in a form strikingly different from its later incarnation. For example, the opening section ends with the chorale 'Jesum lass ich nicht von mir,' which was replaced by the large-scale cantus firmus chorus 'O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde gross' for the 1736 performance. The well-known alto aria 'Ach! nun ist mein Jesus hin' is still assigned to a bass in the earlier version, and the aria 'Komm süsses Kreuz' calls for a lute instead of the later viola da gamba. Moreover, the pieces for double chorus only require a single continuo group. Other differences can be found in the instrumental scoring and voice-leading. The early version of the St. Matthew Passion is thus a most interesting addition to the great concert repertoire. The corresponding volume of the 'New Bach Edition' (series II/volume 5b) serves as a conducting score.