Mendelssohn’s first performance of Bach’s “Matthäus-Passion” took place in Berlin in 1829. He modernized what was considered difficult, outmoded baroque music and brought new life to Bach’s music. Almost 200 years later, Mendelssohn’s version was reconstructed from the original material. Bach’s vocals were largely retained and the evangelist part and some arias shortened, bringing the performance to two hours. Without the baroque continuo, the work is accompanied by a modern orchestra, including clarinets and, optional, a piano. Mendelssohn’s reworking of the string parts makes it easy to support larger choirs. In this session, Malcolm Bruno will present details from the new edition and share excerpts of the 2023 recording.
In cooperation with Bärenreiter-Verlag.
