Evangelist (Bach)
Encyclopedia
The Evangelist in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach
is the tenor part in his oratorio
s and Passions
who narrates the exact words of the Bible
, translated by Martin Luther
, in recitative
, namely in the works St John Passion, St Matthew Passion, and the Christmas Oratorio
, also in the St Mark Passion and the Ascension Oratorio Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen, BWV 11. Some cantata
s also contain recitatives of Bible quotations, assigned to the tenor voice.
In contrast, the Vox Christi
, Voice of Christ, is always the bass
in Bach's works, including several cantata
s.
In the St John Passion the story consists of chapters 18 and 19 of John the Evangelist
, the St Matthew Passion tells the complete chapters 26 and 27 of Matthew the Evangelist. The first versions of the St. John Passion contained two additional lines from Matthew mentioning the weeping of the disciple Peter
and the tearing of the temple curtain, dramatic situations that Bach cared about. He composed the weeping in an expressive melisma
and the tearing in a forceful downward run followed by tremolo
, but removed the parts in later versions.
The Christmas Oratorio follows Luke the Evangelist
for parts 1 to 4, and St. Matthew for Parts 5 and 6. A St Mark Passion
after Mark the Evangelist
is lost, but has been reconstructed by several scholars. In the Ascension Oratorio the story is compiled verse by verse from different biblical sources. The Easter Oratorio
is an exception, as a play of four biblical characters without narration.
1725
In Am Abend aber desselbigen Sabbats, BWV 42 (8 April 1725, first Sunday after Easter
), the tenor opens after a Sinfonia, accompanied by the continuo in repeated fast notes, possibly illustrating the anxious heart beat of the disciples, when Jesus appears, "On the evening, however, of the same Sabbath, when the disciples had gathered and the door was locked out of fear of the Jews, Jesus came and walked among them", .
In Er rufet seinen Schafen mit Namen, BWV 175
(22 May 1725, Pentecost Tuesday), the tenor sings the opening recitative, "Er rufet seinen Schafen mit Namen und führet sie hinaus", .
1726
In Siehe, ich will viel Fischer aussenden, BWV 88
(21 July 1726, 5th Sunday after Trinity), the tenor begins part 2 with a recitative on ,
"Jesus sprach zu Simon" (Jesus said to Simon).
In Wer Dank opfert, der preiset mich, BWV 17 (22 September 1726, 14th Sunday after Trinity
), the tenor begins part 2 with a recitative on .
had called Bach's cantatas the Fifth Gospel.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
is the tenor part in his oratorio
Oratorio
An oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
s and Passions
Passions (Bach)
According to his obituary, Johann Sebastian Bach wrote "five passions, of which one is for double chorus". Two works have survived: the St John Passion and the St Matthew Passion , this last using double chorus...
who narrates the exact words of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, translated by Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
, in recitative
Recitative
Recitative , also known by its Italian name "recitativo" , is a style of delivery in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms of ordinary speech...
, namely in the works St John Passion, St Matthew Passion, and the Christmas Oratorio
Christmas Oratorio
The Christmas Oratorio BWV 248, is an oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach intended for performance in church during the Christmas season. It was written for the Christmas season of 1734 incorporating music from earlier compositions, including three secular cantatas written during 1733 and 1734 and a...
, also in the St Mark Passion and the Ascension Oratorio Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen, BWV 11. Some cantata
Bach cantata
Bach cantata became a term for a cantata of the German Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach who was a prolific writer of the genre. Although many of his works are lost, around 200 cantatas survived....
s also contain recitatives of Bible quotations, assigned to the tenor voice.
In contrast, the Vox Christi
Vox Christi
Vox Christi, Latin for Voice of Christ, is a term for the bass voice representing Jesus in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and others. This part appears prominently in Bach's Passions...
, Voice of Christ, is always the bass
Bass (voice type)
A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C...
in Bach's works, including several cantata
Bach cantata
Bach cantata became a term for a cantata of the German Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach who was a prolific writer of the genre. Although many of his works are lost, around 200 cantatas survived....
s.
Music and sources
The Evangelist reports in secco recitatives accompanied by basso continuo only.In the St John Passion the story consists of chapters 18 and 19 of John the Evangelist
John the Evangelist
Saint John the Evangelist is the conventional name for the author of the Gospel of John...
, the St Matthew Passion tells the complete chapters 26 and 27 of Matthew the Evangelist. The first versions of the St. John Passion contained two additional lines from Matthew mentioning the weeping of the disciple Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
and the tearing of the temple curtain, dramatic situations that Bach cared about. He composed the weeping in an expressive melisma
Melisma
Melisma, in music, is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. Music sung in this style is referred to as melismatic, as opposed to syllabic, where each syllable of text is matched to a single note.-History:Music of ancient cultures used...
and the tearing in a forceful downward run followed by tremolo
Tremolo
Tremolo, or tremolando, is a musical term that describes various trembling effects, falling roughly into two types. The first is a rapid reiteration...
, but removed the parts in later versions.
The Christmas Oratorio follows Luke the Evangelist
Luke the Evangelist
Luke the Evangelist was an Early Christian writer whom Church Fathers such as Jerome and Eusebius said was the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles...
for parts 1 to 4, and St. Matthew for Parts 5 and 6. A St Mark Passion
St Mark Passion (Bach)
The St Mark Passion , BWV 247, is a lost Passion setting by Johann Sebastian Bach, first performed in Leipzig on Good Friday, 23 March 1731 and again on Good Friday 1744 in a revised version...
after Mark the Evangelist
Mark the Evangelist
Mark the Evangelist is the traditional author of the Gospel of Mark. He is one of the Seventy Disciples of Christ, and the founder of the Church of Alexandria, one of the original four main sees of Christianity....
is lost, but has been reconstructed by several scholars. In the Ascension Oratorio the story is compiled verse by verse from different biblical sources. The Easter Oratorio
Easter Oratorio
The Easter Oratorio , BWV 249, is an oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach, Kommt, eilet und laufet , first performed in Leipzig in 1725.- History :...
is an exception, as a play of four biblical characters without narration.
Evangelist singers
Some tenors are known especially for their rendition of the Evangelist, including:- Theo AltmeyerTheo AltmeyerTheo Altmeyer was a German classical tenor. Although he was a successful opera singer, he is chiefly remembered for his work as an oratorio soloist...
- Gervase Elwes
- Karl ErbKarl ErbKarl Erb was a German tenor vocalist who made his career first in opera and then in oratorio and lieder recital. He excelled in all these genres, and before 1920 gave classic performances of key roles in modern works, and created lead roles in those of Hans Pfitzner...
, mentioned in Thomas Mann's novel Doctor Faustus as Erbe (in English: Heritage) - Kurt EquiluzKurt EquiluzKurt Equiluz is an Austrian classical tenor in opera and concert, known for recording works of Johann Sebastian Bach with Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Helmuth Rilling, a member of the Vienna State Opera as a tenor buffo from 1957 until 1983.- Professional career :Kurt Equiluz was an alto soloist of...
- John van KesterenJohn van KesterenJohn van Kesteren was a Dutch operatic tenor.Van Kesteren first worked as an electronic telex specialist for the Dutch Telegraph Company PTT. His very first appearance as a non-professional singer was in 1942 with an operetta company in Apeldoorn in the French operetta The Bells of Corneville...
- Peter PearsPeter PearsSir Peter Neville Luard Pears CBE was an English tenor who was knighted in 1978. His career was closely associated with the composer Edward Benjamin Britten....
- Christoph PrégardienChristoph PrégardienChristoph Prégardien is a German lyric tenor whose career is closely associated with the roles in Mozart operas, as well as performances of Lieder, oratorio roles, and Baroque music...
- Peter SchreierPeter SchreierPeter Schreier is a German tenor and conductor.-Early life:Schreier was born in Meissen, Saxony, and spent his first years in the small village of Gauernitz, near Meissen, where his father was a teacher, cantor and organist...
- James TaylorJames Taylor (tenor)James Taylor is an American tenor, known for singing the Evangelist in works of Johann Sebastian Bach.- Biography :James Taylor grew up in Houston. He studied singing with Arden Hopkin at the Texas Christian University...
- Steuart WilsonSteuart WilsonSir James Steuart Wilson was an English singer, known for tenor roles in oratorios and concerts in the first half of the 20th century....
Evangelist in cantatas
The Evangelist narrates in several cantata.1725
In Am Abend aber desselbigen Sabbats, BWV 42 (8 April 1725, first Sunday after Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
), the tenor opens after a Sinfonia, accompanied by the continuo in repeated fast notes, possibly illustrating the anxious heart beat of the disciples, when Jesus appears, "On the evening, however, of the same Sabbath, when the disciples had gathered and the door was locked out of fear of the Jews, Jesus came and walked among them", .
In Er rufet seinen Schafen mit Namen, BWV 175
Er rufet seinen Schafen mit Namen, BWV 175
Er rufet seinen Schafen mit Namen , BWV 175, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach composed the cantata in Leipzig for the Third Day of Pentecost and first performed it on 22 May 1725.-History and words:...
(22 May 1725, Pentecost Tuesday), the tenor sings the opening recitative, "Er rufet seinen Schafen mit Namen und führet sie hinaus", .
1726
In Siehe, ich will viel Fischer aussenden, BWV 88
Siehe, ich will viel Fischer aussenden, BWV 88
Siehe, ich will viel Fischer aussenden , BWV 88, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed it in Leipzig for the fifth Sunday after Trinity and first performed it on 21 July 1726.-History and words:...
(21 July 1726, 5th Sunday after Trinity), the tenor begins part 2 with a recitative on ,
"Jesus sprach zu Simon" (Jesus said to Simon).
In Wer Dank opfert, der preiset mich, BWV 17 (22 September 1726, 14th Sunday after Trinity
Trinity Sunday
Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Western Christian liturgical calendar, and the Sunday of Pentecost in Eastern Christianity...
), the tenor begins part 2 with a recitative on .
The Fifth Evangelist
Bach himself is frequently referred to as the Fifth Evangelist for his devoted interpretation of the biblical sources. In 1929 the Swedish bishop Nathan SöderblomNathan Söderblom
Lars Olof Jonathan Söderblom was a Swedish clergyman, Archbishop of Uppsala in the Church of Sweden, and recipient of the 1930 Nobel Peace Prize...
had called Bach's cantatas the Fifth Gospel.