Johannes Passion

[Enrique]

I can now say I have some knowledge of Bach's Johannes Passion. There is a saying: Mathew is ..., John is the light. Perhaps Megan can fill in the blank. Bach seems to have thought in the last clause of the saying when writing this passion, if the saying is so old. Up to until a year, I was new to John's Passion, I mean the one written by Bach for there has been so many before his and it would be very interstring, perhaps surprising to listen to some of them. Then I, yes, downloaded Herreweger and Gardiner's versions and have been listeniing to the latter's one here and there. Each time I embark in the adventure, I get rewarded. Perhaps I omit some recitatives, with the danger of missing some choir (passages of the Bible where the people talk). There are the chorales, simple but yet worth listening and, ... the most beautiful arias in the world.

As is logical, Bach reserved the best choirs for the opening and penultimate numbers of the work. About the first number, the opening choir, I translate from another thread: whoever listens to it, he will be carried away in a wind of enthusiasm and joy (no religious connotations here). The last choir, on the other hand, is sublime sweetness. Describing it would be beyond the power of the most eximious writer.

[Megan]

Enrique, I think the word you are looking for Matthew is 'salt'.
So St. Matthew is the salt and St John is the light, which corresponds to the postition of the evangelists and gospel writers in the New Testament.
I totally agree about the chorals and arias, they are just sublime beyond words. Can anyone doubt these are the finest things ever produced by western culture.
Congratulations on quoting a word 'eximius' which I have never heard of before. I was delighted to read that it means excellent, fine or extraordinary.
I can only find its meaning by consulting a latin dictionary that I have. Well done!

[Peter]

I can now say I have some knowledge of Bach's Johannes Passion. There is a saying: Mathew is ..., John is the light. Perhaps Megan can fill in the blank. Bach seems to have thought in the last clause of the saying when writing this passion, if the saying is so old. Up to until a year, I was new to John's Passion, I mean the one written by Bach for there has been so many before his and it would be very interstring, perhaps surprising to listen to some of them. Then I, yes, downloaded Herreweger and Gardiner's versions and have been listeniing to the latter's one here and there. Each time I embark in the adventure, I get rewarded. Perhaps I omit some recitatives, with the danger of missing some choir (passages of the Bible where the people talk). There are the chorales, simple but yet worth listening and, ... the most beautiful arias in the world.

As is logical, Bach reserved the best choirs for the opening and penultimate numbers of the work. About the first number, the opening choir, I translate from another thread: whoever listens to it, he will be carried away in a wind of enthusiasm and joy (no religious connotations here). The last choir, on the other hand, is sublime sweetness. Describing it would be beyond the power of the most eximious writer.

I have never rated this passion as high as the Matthew, but haven't listened to it for some years. Because of your enthusiasm (slightly puzzling as you claim Bach is over-rated in another thread!) I shall give it another go.

[Enrique]

Yeah. Latin can still be international. Thank you Megan for coming to the rescue. I now remember the place were I read it. It says "The four narrations superimposed, Matthew gives the line, Marcus the coloring, Lukas the hues (unfortunate translation), John the light". Salt is a beautiful word, as used by the ancients. Do you know where "solder" comes from. In the first days of the Roman republic, the solders were paid with salt. Salt gave solder and salary. I was prompted to write that post when listening to Ruht wohl ihr heiligen Gebeine, which using your words, is really sublime. Some deeds of men, one is tempted to think they couldn't have done them alone.