St. John Passion

The Gospel of John relates the story of Christ’s last days as a clash of political forces, where conflicting power structures conspire to crush a visionary reformer. Bach’s dramatic, vivid, and deeply emotional setting of this Passion narrative does not shrink from this troubling human parable; yet the chorales and arias continually expand the focus of the Gospel text to all of humankind: our shared culpability, vulnerability, and ultimate potential for redemption through faith and love.

Emmanuel Music continues its tradition of exploring Bach’s most challenging and controversial works with St. John Passion. This highly charged rendering of the Gospel of John is presented on the heels of conversations and lectures that engage with its troubling text—revealing this masterpiece of searing real-time drama and deeply felt emotion as absolutely essential listening.