“There is nothing like it in all of music”

The opening aria of the Passion is very special: “Kommt ihr Töchter helft mir klagen”.

The first scene is in Jerusalem. The opening chorus of the Passion sets a certain tone, positioning Jesus as both the bridegroom and the sacrificial lamb:

“Suddenly the chorus divides into two antiphons of the chorus. Behold him!, exclaims the first. Who? Asks the second. And the first answers: Behold the bridegroom, see him! How? Just like a lamb. And then over and against all this questioning and answering and commotion, the voices of the young choir sing the chorale melody “O Lamb of God, most holy”, piercing through the world’s pain with the icy truth of redemption. The counterpoint combination of these three different choruses is thrilling…”

The most famous and most frequently heard parts of the St. Matthew Passion are the sublime alto aria with obligatory violin Erbarme dich, the soprano aria Blute nur, du liebes Herz and the second Aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben, an aria without continuo; then the choral moments that make the blood run cold in the veins: when the riotous crowd shouts for Barabbas to be released and Christ to be crucified; and the final, magnificent chorus of the Passion, the double chorus Wir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder.