2 months ago
#Bach #SaintJohnPassion #Ukraine
"A 33-year-old man is accused of a crime. He is arrested, tortured and dies on a cross. His loved ones, including his mother, are forced to watch his torture, powerless to intervene. The darkest chapter in the history of Christianity is described personally and vividly by a witness, the evangelist John, a close friend of the victim.
That is how one could summarize the theme of Johann Sebastian Bach's St. John Passion. The composition, alongside Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, is considered by many to be one of the greatest works of European music ever written.
"The timeless themes that make this work so topical and universal," says Michael Maul, a Bach researcher and director of the Leipzig Bach Festival. "Love and compassion. Dealing with betrayal, with grief. You don't have to be a devout Christian or even a Lutheran to feel that."
"A 33-year-old man is accused of a crime. He is arrested, tortured and dies on a cross. His loved ones, including his mother, are forced to watch his torture, powerless to intervene. The darkest chapter in the history of Christianity is described personally and vividly by a witness, the evangelist John, a close friend of the victim.
That is how one could summarize the theme of Johann Sebastian Bach's St. John Passion. The composition, alongside Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, is considered by many to be one of the greatest works of European music ever written.
"The timeless themes that make this work so topical and universal," says Michael Maul, a Bach researcher and director of the Leipzig Bach Festival. "Love and compassion. Dealing with betrayal, with grief. You don't have to be a devout Christian or even a Lutheran to feel that."
Soundtrack of our time: 300 years of Bach's St. John Passion – DW – 03/28/2024
Bach's masterpiece first premiered on Good Friday in 1724. His composition is an unparalleled appeal for more humanity.
https://www.dw.com/en/soundtrack-of-our-time-300-years-of-bachs-st-john-passion/a-68682892
