Come, friends, help me wail...

A musical reflection in observance of Holy Week - listen while you read....

It all begins with a slow heartbeat - a pulsating rhythm emanating from the depths of the crowd, accompanying a slow, mournful melody. The wailing begins.  The ritual wailing for lost loved ones is as old a part of the human culture as storytelling itself. Although in modern times, we consider ourselves "too civilized", and too much in control of our emotions to let the mourns come forth.

Voices join from all sides of the earth. No words can be deciphered, just the tuneful moans of the gathered. A slow, inevitable crescendo of wails reaches its climax and finally, we hear words we can understand:

Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen! 

Come, you daughters, help me lament!

These new voices rise in their fervor, deep pain fueling their energy. Their friends look on, knowing that their own time is coming to join in the story. The same words are repeated like a litany for the missing, a liturgy for the lost.

Sehet!      Wen? 

Behold!      Whom? 

Den Bräutigam. 

The Bridegroom.

Seht ihn!          Wie? 

Behold him!     How? 

Als wie ein Lamm! 

As a lamb. 

The second group finally enters, slowly drawn into the story like late comers to the scene.  They are invited in by the first group who shouts, "Behold!"  The invitation is to observe, to listen to the story, to take it all in.  As the music continues to drive and weave and layer upon  itself, the world breaks open by a third voice - the sound of innocence.  This third voice sings a well known melody to the listener:

O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig 

O guiltless Lamb of God,

Am Stamm des Kreuzes geschlachtet, 

Slaughtered on the stem of the cross,

This is sung while the two groups continue to dialogue with each other on what and who will be seen, and how we are to understand it.  The simple, innocent melody pulls the listener out of their reverie, wedding the new sounds to a more familiar understanding.  The listener is now part of the drama.  

The instruments take over briefly before the choruses again pick up their song:

Sehet!       Was?  

Behold!       What? 

Seht die Geduld. 

Behold his patience.

And the third voice sings:

Allzeit erfunden geduldig, 

Always found patient,

Wiewohl du warest verachtet. 

Although you were despised.

The groups shout back and forth to each other, searching and tossing about with shouts of:

Seht!              Wohin? 

Behold!          Where? 

Auf unsre Schuld.

In our guilt. 

All the while, the third voice sings:

All Sünd hast du getragen, 

All sin have you carried, 

Sonst müssten wir verzagen. 

Else we must have despaired. 

And finally, the true climax begins, building and growing towards an inevitable ending, every voice on earth gradually merging as one as they sing:

Sehet ihn aus Lieb und Huld 

Behold Him, out of love and graciousness, 

Holz zum Kreuze selber tragen!

Himself carrying the wood of the cross.

The third voice soars above the wailing crowd:

Erbarm dich unser, o Jesu, o Jesu! 

Have mercy upon us, O Jesus, O Jesus!

So begins The Passion According to St. Matthew as interpreted by Johann Sebastian Bach, the dramatist, the great storyteller. When most people think of Bach, those aren't the words that come to mind. They think "academic", or "stoic", and even, "taxing". But no other work is so full of drama, action and excitement (of a kind) than his St. Matthew. Is it long? Lord yes. But "stoic" and "staid" it is not. Bach has set the work for double chorus, double orchestra, soloists, and a cast of characters taken straight from the New Testament. 

 The two choruses function much as Greek choruses did, in that they serve as on lookers and witnesses who comment on the actions taking place before them.  They also play the part of the crowds, the high priests, and the disciples.  Their texts are taken from both the Gospel of Matthew and traditional chorale texts.  In reality, the chorus is us, the listener, as we would be witnessing the drama.  Bach, in his genius, has placed us inside the story.   

The story is told by the Evangelist, Matthew. This tenor role narrates the story from beginning to end, setting each scene and bridging the gap from one to the next. This is one of the most difficult musical roles for a tenor to play. Pacing is everything.  Not only is it difficult to sing, but it is impossible to sing well without completely immersing oneself into the role with a full understanding of who Matthew was and an acceptance of the burden of telling such a tale. We also encounter Peter, Judas, Pontius Pilate, Pilate's wife, a few high priests, 2 servant girls, two witnesses, and 4 soloists who comment on the story through their arias.  And finally there is Jesus, whose words are always surrounded by a halo of sound played by the string instruments.

 The orchestra has all the usual suspects - violins, violas, cellos, basses, flutes, oboes, and organ. He also asks for a Viola da Gamba, Oboes da Caccia and Oboes d'Amore. These extra "colors" play an important role in painting a picture of incredible depth and emotion. Bach uses his instruments much like an artist uses different colors of paint - creating  darkness and light by using the natural traits of each instrument accordingly, including the voices.  

This work is full of tragedy and theater, if you know how to look for it. And there's the issue - most non-musically trained people are so far removed from the gestures and language of the Baroque era that much is lost. But when we take a closer look at the work, we find so much in common with modern music and modern sensibilities. And as a statement of Bach's personal faith, it takes on staggering proportions.

Next week, Baldwin-Wallace College will present its annual Bach Festival with the St. Matthew Passion as its principal work.  Click here to find more information about the performances.  The vocal soloists are truly magnificent.  The orchestra is comprised of students, faculty and professionals (including myself), and the choruses are completely comprised of students.  The Festival is an incredibly learning experience for the students and an incredible musical experience for the listener.  I hope you will join us!