The Bach Collegium-Fort Wayne

The Passion Structure - Definitions of Terms:

(Notes from the Saint Matthew's Passion Program)

Chorus - any section sung by the choir(s). The several functions of a choir are: it sings the monumental movements that introduce and conclude Part One and Part Two of the Passion, at times short phrases that punctuate some Arias, and the utterances of all groups, such as, disciples, priests, crowds, and soldiers.

Recitative - narrative sections sung by soloists, identified as Evangelist, Jesus, and other individuals. Two styles of recitative will be heard:

1. secco ("dry") - a kind of sung-speech accompanied only by cello and organ
2. accompagnato ("accompanied") - a kind of sung-speech accompanied here by strings, and employed only when Jesus speaks, as a kind of musical halo through which Bach symbolically conveys Jesus' diety, like the golden rings in ancient paintings and frescoes that surround the heads of the holy.

Recitativo - a word similar to "recitative," but with a final "o." It is a short reflective section sung by a soloist with instrumental accompaniment. As in a recitative, its melody is somewhat speech-like. Unlike a recitative, its melody is more tuneful, it employs extra instruments, and it has a regular beat. Recitativos prepare listeners to make the musical and psychological adjustment from the dramatic rush of recitative to the slow contemplation of the aria, signaling that the story itself is about to pause while we consider its implications.

Aria - an extended section for soloist(s) and instruments. Arias feature complex melodies, intricate instrumental parts, and frequent text repetition to express emotional responses to the crucial events of the story, and to provide time for serious meditation.

Chorale - these are hymns of Bach's church, and represent the voice of the congregation, which knew these hymns by heart. The tunes were old, but for this Passion Bach harmonized them, adding an alto, tenor and bass line. His settings are text-driven and unusually profound, and ever since Bach's time have been recognized by educators for their unsurpassed quality and to this day are used to teach the craft of part-writing. Most of these tunes are familiar, and as the choir sings them, they really beg to be sung by you at least in spirit. In the chorale texts the lessons of the Passion are driven home, often in a most penetrating, personal way. Listeners at a Passion were not meant to be merely spectators at a concert, but participants in the story, eligible for both judgment and redemption, open to both confession and salvation.