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Cargando... Bach's St. Matthew Passion: A Closer Look (Magnum Opus)por Victor Lederer
Ninguno Actualmente no hay Conversaciones sobre este libro.  jrcovey | Apr 6, 2014 |  sin reseñas | añadir una reseña
Johann Sebastian Bach's the St. Matthew Passion stands as a singular expression of religious sensibility. First performed in 1727, and conceived within the constraints of Bach's role as cantor of the St. Thomas Church in the provincial German city of Leipzig, the music has a power and profundity that readily transcend time and place. Yet the darkness of the subject - the betrayal, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus - and the complexity and sophistication of Bach's compositional techniques can make the St. Matthew Passion difficult listening for even the most eager novice. By highlighting the inspiration Bach drew from opera, this book truly illuminates the hybrid forms that comprise the work, thereby clarifying many of the composer's dramatic strategies. Drawn from the Gospel of St. Matthew, the narrative sections - featuring characters including the narrator-Evangelist, Pilate, Peter, Judas, and Jesus himself - have tremendous theatrical power, while non-Biblical arias and chorales offer moments of deep reflection and consolation. St. Matthew Passion shows the willing but intimidated beginner the way into the intricacies of Bach's masterwork while unveiling subtleties for the more knowledgeable listener as well. Finally, Lederer recounts the fascinating performance history of the St. Matthew Passion and looks at the merits of different recordings of this extraordinary work, indisputably one of the cornerstones of western music. No se han encontrado descripciones de biblioteca. |
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 Google Books — Cargando...GénerosSistema Decimal Melvil (DDC)782.23The arts Music Vocal music Nondramatic vocal forms OratoriosClasificación de la Biblioteca del CongresoValoraciónPromedio: (4.25)
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In the online search that led me to this book, I stumbled upon a remarkable review written for The Telegraph by Damian Thompson (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/5131824/Bachs-St-Matthew-Passion-by-Victor-Lederer-Review.html). His closing paragraph stayed with me:
"Some people think you shouldn’t read while listening to a piece of music: I used to know a critic who would sneer if you so much as glanced at the programme during a concert. What nonsense. One of this book’s many virtues is that it unfolds at roughly the same pace as the St Matthew Passion itself. I read it in tandem with Paul McCreesh’s superlative recording with the Gabrieli players. It was as if I was hearing the music for the first time."
Taking my cue from Thompson, I read the 39-page intro/overview chapter in the morning, and then took the book with me to the performance in the afternoon. Pages 40-107 are basically a brilliantly written play-by-play that opens up the work in a way that mere program notes and/or a translated libretto can't. There was more than enough time during the 3-hour performance to rotate my attention between the performers, the libretto text in the program, and the commentary in the book.
I then read the final chapter, which gives the reception history and performance history of the work, after returning home from the performance.
Whether you have this book open on your knee at a live presentation of Bach's St. Matthew Passion, or open in your lap as you listen to a recording of it at home, I venture to say that it will open up aspects of the work that you never considered, no matter the level of your musical education.
Thanks to Lederer's book my appreciation of this Bach masterwork has been expanded enormously. I am so happy that I took the trouble to seek it out. (