if my kingdom were of this world
then my servants would be fighting"
The St John Passion is an Oratorio by the German composer Johann Sebastian Bach. The librettist is anonymous, but the libretto is very closely based on a standard (Luther) German translation of part of the biblical Gospel of John, with some additional wording drawn from poetry of unknown origin.
Unlike an opera, an oratorio is not intended to be dramatised onstage with sets and costumes. The story is told purely through music, with soloists and choir singing the words of the libretto. Soloists still represent specific characters, but no acting is involved. Soloists sing a mix of arias (solo songs) and recitatives (sung speech, sometimes as part of a conversation — and generally used to progress the plot).
The oratorio describes how Jesus was betrayed by his disciple Judas and arrested, then shows the Roman governor Pontius Pilate and Jesus' accusers wrangling over his fate. Eventually, Jesus is sentenced to death and crucified. In parallel with Jesus' trial, his disciple Peter is repeatedly recognised, but out of fear he claims it's mistaken identity and denies his links to Jesus.
The narrative of the oratorio ends with Joseph asking Pilate's permission to recover Jesus' body, which is then entombed by Nicodemus and Joseph. Whereas the biblical story continues with the discovery of the empty tomb and Jesus' resurrection (John 20), the St John Passion finishes before that point, with a choir praising God — the oratorio was intended for a Christian audience who would already know that Jesus' death wasn't the end of the gospel, even though the oratorio itself doesn't mention the resurrection.
The dialogue is supported by a narrator, the Evangelist, who plays no part in the story but explains events to the audience.
The original St John Passion libretto is in German and the oratorio is often performed in that language, regardless of its audience. However, several full translations also exist.
Unless otherwise stated, all English language quotes on this page are taken from the 1969 translation by Peter Pears and Imogen Holst.
Bach intended the St John Passion to be sung in churches on Good Friday. It was first performed in Leipzig, in April 1724.
The St John Passion contains examples of the following tropes:
- All in the Manual: The St John Passion is written for a religious audience, and it's assumed that they already know the full story of Jesus as written in The Bible. The oratorio only adapts John 18-19, describing Jesus' trial, his execution and the burial of his body. It doesn't describe his previous life and works, nor does it continue to his resurrection — for an audience that didn't have this context, the ending would simply mean that The Hero Dies.
- Angry Mob Song: At several points the chorus portrays the Jewish crowd, arguing with Pilate and demanding Jesus' death. In "Then Led They Jesus from Caiaphas to the Judgement" ("Da führeten sie Jesum von Kaiphas vor das Richthaus"), Pilate asks what accusation is made against Jesus, leading to two angry choral sequences - the first explaining the charges and the second urging Pilate to judge him as the Jewish authorities cannot impose a death penalty.
- Demoted to Extra: Peter is the only one of Jesus' twelve disciples to directly appear, with a soloist singing his words. Judas is mentioned by the Evangelist at the very start, due to his betrayal, but does not directly appear. The other disciples are referred to collectively, but aren't even individually named. This reflects the very specific way the St John Passion is based on John 18-19, as anyone with no dialogue in those chapters is out of focus.
- Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": The Evangelist is not named within the oratorio, and the libretto itself doesn't provide a name. In context, he is assumed to represent St John himself, the disciple identified as author of the biblical Gospel of John.
- George Lucas Altered Version: The oratorio was first performed in 1724 and Bach revised it several times over the next 25 years.
- In 1725, Bach removed one aria, added several new ones, and changed the opening and closing choruses.
- In 1730, Bach reinstated the original opening chorus, removed the three new arias he'd added in the previous version, removed the closing chorale and removed text taken from the Gospel of Matthew.
- In 1749, Bach reverted to a version very close to the original 1724 oratorio — but this time with violins replacing the viola d'amore, an instrument that was falling out of fashion.
- As well as Bach's own changes, in 1971 Benjamin Britten edited Bach's score to match a translated English libretto by Imogen Holst and Peter Pears.
- The Hero Dies: The oratorio ends after the crucifixion of Jesus, with Joseph and Nicodemus secretly asking Pilate for his body, then burying him in a new tomb. Unlike The Four Gospels, it doesn't explain that he conquers death and rises again.
- Jurisdiction Friction: Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, thinks that Jesus' trial should be handled by the high priest Caiaphas and the Jewish authorities. However, Caiaphas and the other priests are not allowed to pass a death sentence, so want Pilate to execute Jesus under Roman law. They eventually win the argument, although it's clear Pilate is not too happy about it.
- Narrator: The Evangelist is not presented as part of the story itself, but explains events for the audience and adds context to the dialogue sung by the soloists. As it's an oratorio, it normally has no set, costumes or acting — it's simply sung, not staged — and this narration gives the Evangelist a larger part than any of the other characters.
- Opera: The St John Passion was created as an oratorio and intended to be sung without acting, costumes or sets, not written as an opera to be performed onstage. This hasn't stopped some productions from adding those elements. Peter Sellars' 2014 staging for the Berliner Philharmoniker kept set and costume to a minimum, but still dramatised the story. In Sellars' version the soloist playing Jesus is restrained, dragged across the floor, interrogated under harsh lights and blindfolded.
- Oratorio: Although the St John Passion has sometimes been produced as a full opera, it was intended as an oratorio to be sung in church on Good Friday, not acted and staged.
- Translated Cover Version: There have been several English translations of the Passion. The first was by John Troutbeck in 1896, the second by T.A. Lacey in 1929. In 1969 Imogen Holst and Peter Pears created a third version, which was used for Benjamin Britten's recording.
