Extensive and large-scale Passion music

Friedrich Theodor Fröhlich lived from 1803 to 1836 and was one of the most renowned musical personalities in Aargau during this time. His Passion Cantata was first performed on Good Friday, April 1, 1831 and is very extensive and demanding in its compositional style as well as in its choral and soloistic scoring, comprising no fewer than 21 movements. An extensive overture opens the musical action. Bachian coloratura is already used in places in the opening chorus. Number 5 is written for female choir. A three-part small choir and a tutti choir are required. Quartet no. 9 calls for two solo tenors, two solo basses and a four-part male choir. Arias are provided for all solo voices. The duet for alto and tenor is specially scored. The instrumental writing is also very demanding, especially in the recitatives and arias. The edition published by Cantate Domino in Fleurier was made possible thanks to the support of Swisslos Canton Aargau.

Theodor Fröhlich, Passions-Cantate, texte de Abraham Emmanuel Fröhlich, partition chant-piano, CD 1193, Fr. 23.50, Cantate Domino, Fleurier 2011

Bach and Handel in one Passion
In the course of his life, Johann Sebastian Bach produced three versions of the St. Mark Passion from "Kaiser". The third was composed around 1747; he was already sixty years old at the time. It was performed at the Good Friday service as a pasticcio with seven arias from Handel's Brockes Passion performed. The term "pasticcio" refers to the practice of combining pieces of music by several composers to create a new work. The individual parts of the work can appear unchanged or edited, adapted to a new context or even newly composed for a specific occasion.

The present Passion is in two parts and very extensive. The basso continuo consists only of a figured bass. The edition accepts the fact that it is not possible to clarify the details of the dynamic and articulatory design, as the instrumental parts were already 35 years old in 1747 and the vocal parts were notated 20 years earlier. The work has 39 numbers; the score is one hundred pages long. In today's usage, a performance for a church service would go beyond all norms.

"Emperor" St. Mark Passion as a pasticcio by Johann Sebastian Bach with arias from George Frideric Handel's "Brockes Passion", for soli, choir, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 violins 2 violas and b. c., edited by Christine Blanken; score, C 35.502/00, € 69.90; piano reduction, C. 35.502/03, € 24-50; Carus, Stuttgart 2012