Bach’s Novi Sad path
STEP 9
Suddenly forgotten
It is almost a miracle that the complete renaissance of Bach’s music only occurred after 1829, thanks to the performance of a work that had been practically forgotten for 100 years, and is today considered one of the most complex and profound creations of Western music.
In the early 1820s, the director of the Berlin Academy of Music, Karl Zelter, obtained a copy of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion and privately tried out some of the choral movements. Fortunately, two of his singers were Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn. In April 1829, despite strong opposition from some quarters, the 20-year-old Mendelssohn staged the first modern performance of the work, albeit in an abridged form, to mark what was then thought to be the 100th anniversary of its first performance.
The Easter performance in Berlin was a resounding success, and other performances followed. This led to a complete renewal of interest in all of Bach’s music, which had somehow fallen into oblivion after the composer’s death almost 80 years earlier.
The Easter performance in Berlin was a resounding success, and other performances followed. This led to a complete renewal of interest in all of Bach’s music, which had somehow fallen into oblivion after the composer’s death almost 80 years earlier.