Masaaki Suzuki conducts Bach's St John Passion
Bach Collegium Japan
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Cast
Bach Collegium Japan
Masaaki Suzuki — Conductor
Gerd Türk — Tenor
Stephan MacLeod — Bass-baritone
Robin Blaze — Countertenor
Midori Suzuki — Soprano
Chiyuki Urano — Bass
Program notes
Experience Bach's St. John Passion conducted by the legendary Masaaki Suzuki and his orchestra, the Bach Collegium Japan.
Bach's Passio secundum Joannem ("St. John Passion") is a living masterpiece of Europe's cultural heritage. Composed and premiered in 1724 at the Good Friday Vespers in Leipzig's St. Nikolaus-Kirche, the work was subsequently revised by Bach in 1725, 1732, and 1749. Bach's quest for musical innovation lives on in musicians' annual performances of the St. John Passion in countless churches and concert halls as part of the Easter season.
The St. John Passion performance seen here features the Bach Collegium Japan under the baton of Masaaki Suzuki, legendary organist, harpsichordist, and orchestral maestro. Few master Bach as this conductor does, and the exquisite interpretation captured during a concert at the Suntory Hall in Tokyo in July 2000 offers listeners a wonderful introduction to this masterpiece.
Suzuki founded the Bach Collegium Japan in 1990, and went on to make recordings the complete Bach sacred cantatas, passions, and oratorios that have been celebrated the world over.