Johann Sebastian Bach composed five passions about the suffering and death of Christ. Only the “St. John Passion” and the “St. Matthew Passion,” written three years later, have survived. On Good Friday 1724, the “St. John Passion,” Bach's first major work written for Leipzig, was premiered in St. Nicholas Church—one year after he took up his post as Thomaskantor.
Since the 4th century, it had been part of liturgical tradition to read the Passion of Christ during Holy Week, often accompanied by music. In the early 18th century, the Passion story broke away from these strict liturgical constraints. However, Bach's “St. John Passion,” lasting two hours, exceeded what was liturgically necessary for a church service—and, with its expressiveness, exceeded what was customary. Even the opening chorus, “Herr, unser Herrscher” (Lord, our ruler), unfolds with an emotional intensity that was known at most from contemporary operas.
Bach's music may have caused some irritation among the congregation gathered for the service, but it undoubtedly also provided an existential experience that still moves us 300 years later. Some experience a theological message in the combination of text and music that can also be experienced aesthetically; others experience Bach's mastery of harmony and counterpoint, his balance of musical order and spiritual depth, as an expression of profound humanity, which our world in turmoil causes us to doubt time and again. Bach performed the “St. John Passion” at least four times. Like the “St. Matthew Passion,” it subsequently fell into oblivion. The first performance after Bach's death took place in Bremen in 1832. In Switzerland, the work was performed for the first time in 1861 by the Basler Gesangverein, who will be performing it again on this Maundy Thursday.
Tickets are CHF 46.90-77.80 for adults and CHF 23.90-39-30 for students.

Website
bs-gesangverein.ch/events/giuseppe-verdi-2/

Where
Martinskirche
Martinskirchplatz 4
4051 Basel

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