Netherlands Bach Society: Der Tod Jesu

A few weeks before Good Friday, the Nederlandse Bachvereniging will perform a less common version of the Passion story: Der Tod Jesu.

Graun's reflection on the Passion
It was not a bitter struggle but a matter of serendipity: Carl Heinrich Graun and Georg Philipp Telemann set the oratorio libretto Der Tod Jesu to music at almost the same time. But the result could not have been more different. Telemann opted for complex North German Baroque. Graun chose a more operatic setting that focuses on reflection. The deep tragedy of Christ's martyrdom made way for an equally impressive Empfindsamkeit.

Passion music, before Bach became the standard
From the very beginning Der Tod Jesu was both loved and criticised. Despite the criticism, Der Tod Jesu would resound on Good Friday almost everywhere in Germany, until Bach's Passion music took over in the 19th century. With the Nederlandse Bachvereniging, Graun's maître d'oeuvre, a key work in the transition from late Baroque to pre-Classical, is given the place of honour it deserves.