The St John Passion is the earlier of Bach’s two surviving settings – although not necessarily his first work in the genre. A more intimate work than the St Matthew Passion, it distils Jesus suffering and sacrifice into a more direct narrative. In part this comes from the distinctive nature of the Gospel of John, with its deep-seated spiritual purity. The church authorities in Leipzig insisted that the Passion story and Jesus’ words could only be told according to the biblical text, but Bach pulls off a clever gambit by interpolating the gospel into a compilation of popular contemporary librettos, such as that by Barthold Heinrich Brockes that Handel and Telemann had set in the previous decade.

St John Passion

Southbank Centre

Stacked with a panoply of talent assembled Galácticos-style from across Europe, the orchestra at the Saxon court in Dresden garnered an exceptional reputation.

EPSG:4326

The Dresden Connection

Royal Northern College of Music

Brandenburg Concerto No. 1

BBC Philharmonic

Brandenburg Concerto No. 2

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

Sinfonia in D minor

Simphonie à 8 concertanti

Concerto in F major

Johanna Soller

Events

Upcoming events

May 7, 2027

The Dresden Connection · BBC Philharmonic

Past events

Mar 29, 2026

St John Passion · Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

Future and recently performed repertoire

Harpsichord in Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 by Bach

BBC Philharmonic

Harpsichord in Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 by Bach

BBC Philharmonic

Conductor in St John Passion by Bach

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

Harpsichord in Sinfonia in D minor by Bach

BBC Philharmonic

Harpsichord in Simphonie à 8 concertanti by Zelenka

BBC Philharmonic

Harpsichord in Concerto in F major by Heinichen

BBC Philharmonic

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