Bach’s St John Passion performed at the church
Domkyrkan the central church (-cum cathedral) of Gothenburg was packed with music lovers to listen to St John Passion composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. The Sunday, 25 March 2018, witnessed a great number of audience to the church as the sunshine danced outside and choir-orchestra played the music with full gusto and passion. Margarita the 80-year-old volunteer at the church said the music is beautiful!
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) the composer and musician of Baroque period from Germany composed St John Passion. Bach’s St Mathew Passion and St John Passion continue to draw praise and admiration to this day though the composer himself felt the latter was more important. St John Passion was written by Bach for Good Friday in 1724. It was the key composition of Bach’s liturgical cantatas during the year of composition.
The musicians of Domkyrkan lifted the audience to the sphere of musical heaven by re-playing St John Passion with precision and beauty. The sopranos sung with devotional air tumbling from their hearts towards the other worlds (heaven?).
Bach’s St John Passion aims to show heaven through music, the story of Good Friday, light and hope at a time of loss; and the composition is acknowledged for its technical precision and musical beauty riddled with musical balance (theatrical & devotional).
The choir and baroque orchestra members of the Gustavi Domkyrkan regaled the audience with St John Passion. The church has more musical programmes during the Easter and all the way up to early June 2018. For more details: check at the church’s website – click here: Domkyrkan.
