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performance of the majority of the work in 1851 he used many of the choruses and
chorales in performances. For example, the Dresden choral society that Schumann
founded in 1848 performed individual movements of the St. John Passion apparently
only accompanied by piano. 302
Organist and composer, Philipp Wolfrum (former student of Joseph Rheinberger)
founded the choral society Heidelberger Bachverein in the bicentenary of Bach‟s birth,
1885. 303 Thirteen years later, in 1898, there is evidence Wolfrum conducted the St. John
Passion in Heidelberg. In 1987, his conducting score of the St. John Passion was
discovered and it showed typical nineteenth century performance decisions that were
customarily made to the work. The score has numerous dynamic indications and two
deletions of significant nature. The tenor da capo aria, “Erwäge, wie sein blutgefärbter
Rükken,” was, according to Leaver, customarily deleted in performances because of its
length and difficulty. 304 The length of the chorus “Ruht wohl” was reduced considerably.
The conducting score provides a chronicle of how over four known performances of the
St. John Passion by Wolfrum much of what was previously cut or deleted was reinstated.
The performance options chosen by Wolfrum show an interesting perspective into
the choices a nineteenth-century conductor would approach a work of Bach. One of the
most glaring differences is Wolfrum‟s rescoring of the continuo part. He rescores the
accompaniment part for either string or wind instruments exclusively and interestingly
enough without the organ or other keyboard continuo. 305 Examples of this practice are
confirmed in the alto aria, “Von den Stricken meiner Sünden” where Wolfrum wrote out
parts for violins 1 and 2 and viola, and in the tenor aria, “Ach, mein Sinn,” parts for two
clarinets in C were added. 306 Wind instruments like clarinets and bassoons were added to
the orchestral texture of the choruses within the St. John Passion. 307 In the bass arioso,
“Betrachte, meine Seele,” Wolfrum clearly intended for the harp or piano to replace
Bach‟s original scoring of lute or harpsichord. 308 One of the most revealing aspects of
302
Max. “Notes on the Performance of Bach‟s St. John Passion in the version by Robert Scumann,” CPO,
2006.
303
Leaver, “The Revival of the St. John Passion,” 23.
304
Ibid.
305
Leaver, “The Revival of the St. John Passion,” 24.
306 Ibid.
307 Ibid.
308 Ibid.
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