florida state university college of music performance practice

12 b Bist du nicht seiner Jünger einer (Chorus)
This chorus, which follows Peter‟s second and third denial of Jesus, represents
one of the few explicit indications of tempo by Bach. 408 Marked “Allegro” this turba
chorus is a vivid representation of people asking Peter, “Are you not one of his
disciples?” Conductors choose many possibilities in painting this text. The text when
taken fast and quietly sounds like whispering and gossiping. The recordings of Milnes
(1996) and Beringer (1997) best typify this dramatic possibility. Twenty-five conductors
chose to stay constant in tempo and dynamics throughout the short seventeen-bar
movement. Eight conductors gradually increased the tempo and dynamics. One
conductor, Gardiner (1986), chose to increase the tempo but stayed at the same dynamic
level. Two conductors, Christophers (1989) and Fasolis (1998), chose to keep the tempo
steady but dramatically increased the volume. Four conductors selected to stay softer
until the last phrase in which it became suddenly louder, and two conductors started with
a full dynamic and became softer at the end. Harnoncourt‟s (1993) recording was the
only one that had a complete break from the preceding recitative to the chorus. All of the
other recordings had a seamless attacca. The majority of conductors did not hold out the
fermata half note for the full value.
14 Petrus, der nicht denkt zurück (Chorale)
This chorale, whose melody is also used for the chorale “Er nahm alles wohl in
acht” (NBA 28), closes the first part of the St. John Passion. The text, which associates
Peter‟s betrayal of Christ with our own, solicits a remorseful conscience. 409 Overall,
conductors preferred to perform this movement at a softer dynamic, particularly in
relation to the following chorale, “Christus, der uns selig macht.” Many conductors
objectively portrayed the text with a uniform dynamic that did not change regardless of
the text. However, there were numerous conductors who expressively depicted the text
with either subtle or overt dynamic changes. For example, many conductors followed the
following dynamic scheme: a piano dynamic with the text, “der doch auf ein‟ ernstern
Blick bitterlichen weinet” (who yet at a solemn glance bitter tears doth weep) then a
408 Roehrig, “The St. John Passion by J.S. Bach in the light of the Neue Bach-Ausgabe edition 1973,” 140.
409 Roehrig, “The St. John Passion by J.S. Bach in the light of the Neue Bach-Ausgabe edition 1973,” 140.
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