Description

The St. John Passion was first performed in Leipzig on Good Friday of 1724. Written three years before the St. Matthew Passion, it was a work Bach revised during the rest of his life, in fact he did not leave us a definitive version either in print or fair copy. The sources give evidence of four different versions used at four performances – 1724, 1725, around 1730 and during the last years of Bach’s life. They often contain two or more readings for the same passage, or even different movements that on different occasions occupied the same place in the work.

Our edition uses the final version IV as its basis with alternative movements and readings contained in the appendices. A comprehensive preface in the study score (German/English) TP197 gives full information.

Description

– BA 5037-90 replaces the previous vocal score. The article number remains unchanged

– The text appears in slightly larger type size and a clearly legible font

– The pagination has been adopted from the previous edition. This means that you can rehearse and perform this work with some singers using this new edition and some the old Bärenreiter edition

– This vocal score is fully compatible with all existing performance material (BA 5037)

– The new vocal score includes a revised piano reduction. It is based on the reliable Walter Heinz Bernstein piano reduction but has been revised and re-engraved, making it far easier to read and play

– A more exact spacing of underlaid words has been included in the vocal parts

Description