Passion season started earlier than usual for the Bach Collegium Japan, who performed Bach’s St John Passion on the first weekend of February at their home venue, the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. As Masaaki Suzuki, Music Director, explained in his welcome speech, 2024 is the 300th anniversary of the St John (first performed on Good Friday, 1724), and this performance was given in celebration of that occasion. But to add a slight twist, he decided to perform it in the lesser-known second version of 1725, which has some striking differences from the original.
Not only did Bach replace the dramatic opening chorus and final chorale with new movements, but he composed three new arias while omitting two arias, including the tenor aria “Erwäge, wie sein blutgefärbter Rücken”. Rather than the dramatic chorus “Herr!, unser Herrscher” in the original, the 1725 version opens with a more meditative chorale-based movement (which would later become the final chorus to Part 1 of the St Matthew Passion), presenting a different mood to the overall storytelling. Meanwhile, the new arias, “Himmel reiße, Welt erbebe” and “Zerschmettert mich” are emotionally explicit and full of suffering and pain. We don’t known why Bach made these revisions, but as Prof Daniel Melamed writes in the programme essay, the Leipzig congregation at the time may well have thought that it was a new work.
Suzuki assembled a fine line-up of vocal soloists for this performance, both from Japan and abroad. Berlin-based tenor Shimon Yoshida was the newcomer Evangelist with the BCJ. More of a stoic narrator than an emotional storyteller, he guided us through the Passion story with poise and commanding tone. He also sang the tenor arias, in which he allowed himself more lyricism and emotion, displaying a clear, unforced high range. All the other vocal soloists took part in the choruses, stepping out for their solos. German baritone Christian Immler sang the role of Jesus and the bass arias; the former with authority and gravitas and, in the arias, particularly poignant in “Himmel reiße” that portrays Jesus’ suffering. Meanwhile, baritone Toru Kaku took the role of Pilatus, capturing the character’s conflicting emotions well.
Czech soprano Hana Blažíková, a regular BCJ collaborator, made a welcome return. Her voice, as pure and as clear as ever, soared in “Zerfließe, mein Herze”, which was sung with emotional depth but without any hint of sentimentality. The alto arias were sung by rising Japanese countertenor, Noriyuki Kubo. Although slightly lacking in power to rise above the orchestra, his voice is soft and stylish and he moved the audience with his compassionate rendering of “Es ist vollbracht”.
The performance wasn’t just about the soloists. In the St John Passion, the chorus takes an active part in the drama, especially in Part 2. The 17 members of the impeccable BCJ Chorus sang with clarity, precision and unified tone throughout, shifting seamlessly from the furious choruses of mobbing crowds to the devout and meditative chorales. The orchestra too were superb, with sonorous solos from the traverse flutes and the oboes, and the continuo group showing a strong presence with Masato Suzuki playing the bright and sonorous Garnier-built continuo organ with pedals.
Bringing everyone together was Masaaki Suzuki, who led with energy despite a recent shoulder injury that restricted the use of his left hand. Although he probably hasn’t performed the 1725 version that often, he created a compelling narrative flow and led us through this emotional and contemplative journey with total conviction. It was a superlative performance that demonstrated BCJ’s peerlessness in Bach’s sacred music.
