florida state university college of music performance practice

subsequent forte dynamic at “Jesu, blikke mich auch an, wenn ich nicht will büßen; wenn
ich Böses hab getan,” (Jesus, also look on me, when I resist repentance when things evil I
have done), changing again to end in a piano dynamic with the phrase, “rühre mein
Gewissen,” (stir my inner conscience). 410
Various decisions were made regarding phrasing. Nineteen conductors performed
this chorale observing every fermata without any additional punctuation taken. Two
conductors (Gardiner 1986, Max 2006) ignored the first fermata located in bar two on the
word “zurück” creating a four-bar phrase. Likewise, two conductors (Cleobury 1996,
Max 2006) ignored the fermata located in bar six on the word “Blick” also resulting in a
four-bar phrase. Ten conductors made the poetic decision to lift after the first word of
“Petrus.”
Tempo results indicate a wide range in data collected. German conductor
Hermann Max (1990) performed this chorale the fastest at 0:47 seconds while Dutch
conductor Leusink was second at 0:51 and German conductor Hempfling was third at
0:52. German conductors Neumann (1999) and Beringer (1997) were the slowest two
conductors at 1:30 and 1:27, respectively, and Belgium conductor Kuijken was third
slowest at 1:20. Data analysis demonstrates no observable trend in tempo over the last
twenty-five years.
15 Christus, der uns selig macht (Chorale)
This chorale, which traditionally followed the sermon in Bach‟s day, is the first
movement in part two. The chorale recollects the events of Christ‟s capture, false
accusations against him and the humiliation he suffered through the mocking, scorning
and spitting upon from the people. 411 All of the thirty-eight recordings reviewed began
this chorale in a full and strong dynamic level from mezzo-forte to forte. However, after
four bars into the chorale conductors made various decisions regarding the dynamics.
Many used a consistent mezzo-forte to forte dynamic throughout the chorale while others
chose dynamic shadings that best reflected the text. For example, Veldhoven (2004)
decided to make the phrase beginning in bar five, “der ward für uns in der Nacht als ein
Dieb gefangen,” (Who for us was in the night like a thief arrested,) a piano to reflect
410 Translations are from Alfred Dürr, Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. John Passion: Genesis, Transmission
and Meaning. New York, Oxford University Press, 2000, 144.
411 Roehrig, “The St. John Passion by J.S. Bach in the light of the Neue Bach-Ausgabe edition 1973,” 141.
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