florida state university college of music performance practice

orchestra and chorus were unbalanced or if the tempo was brisk. The soprano and tenor
trills in measure 34 were performed by every conductor except Herreweghe (1987).
All but two conductors demonstrated a consistent tempo throughout this
movement. Both Schreier (1988) and Slowik (1989) began speeding up in the first ten
measures after the intial tempo. The gathered evidence regarding the duration of this
movement shows that recordings were rather close in results when compared to other
movements within the St. John Passion. American conductor Milnes (1996) was
distinguished as the fastest recording at 1:06 followed by Dutch conductor Koopman
(1993) and English conductor Gardiner (1986) at 1:06 and 1:07. The top three slowest
interpretations belong to German conductor Weyand (1990) at 1:20 followed by Smith
(1999) at 1:18 and last Belgium conductor Kuijken (1987) at 1:17.
23 d Weg, weg mit dem (Chorus)
The crowd‟s insistent demands to take Jesus away and crucify him are accounted
for in this chorus. The chorus which is modeled after “Kreuzige, kreuzige” (21 d ) has been
lowered a half step to the key of F sharp minor. 424 Additionaly, three measures were
added to the beginning of the chorus. 425 As might be expected, the dramatic nature of this
chorus influenced every conductor examined to present it in a full forte dynamic. The
sobering dissonances beginning in measures 48 are often hit and decayed in various
degrees for effect. However, Fasolis (1998) demonstrated tension in the line by a
conspicuous crescendo through the dissonances. One final point regarding dynamics in
this movement: many conductors used the basses‟ higher register, singing a middle C, to
expressively marshal a crescendo in all of the parts to the end of the movement.
Most of the recordings analyzed prominently featured the ornamental trill in
measure 61 of the continuo part but there were a few recordings (nine) that were difficult
to categorically hear the trill being executed due to the loudness or lack of balance of
other parts in relation to the trill. Based on the other movements it is not surprising that
424 Roehrig, “The St. John Passion by J.S. Bach in the light of the Neue Bach-Ausgabe edition 1973,” 124.
425 Ibid.
119