My Cultural Experience- St. Mathew Passion
For my cultural experience, I chose to review Johann Sebastian Bach, St. Mathew Passion performance. I used YouTube and other sources on the internet to source information on the song. St. Mathew Passion was initially written in 1727 by Bach and was first played on Good Friday in Leipzig in Germany. It is a classic sacred song. It is based on the gospel of Mathew chapters 26 and 27; it reflects on the events that occurred during the crucifixion of Jesus, making it sorrowful and powerful. It continues to move audiences even after three centuries.
The passion is divided into two parts. The first part addresses the events between the last supper and Jesus’ arrest. The second part touches on the events that took place during the crucifixion of Jesus. One thing that ii found interesting about this song is that there are so many different instruments used from the base quitter, the violin, flute, keyboard, drums, oboes, and other string instruments. The voices are different levels too, from soprano to bass. The voices and instruments have been well used to produce harmony and rhythm. The song place for about 2 hours and the participants do not seem to tire. I found that incredible.
The two tools that can use to describe this song is rhythm and mood. The starting instrument is the cello. It is played in a low keynote, which I believe is the pacesetter. Other instruments join in with the same rhythm before the voices join. From the pace and the note of the song, one can easily tell that it’s a religious song. Therefore, I think the rhythm and the voices set the mood for this song, a powerful yet sorrowful mood.
The song made me reflect on Jesus sufferings for the sake of the world. To some extent, I felt some comfort knowing that he suffered so that I may not. Bearing in mind the current pandemic and the tension it has created in everybody, I felt some rejuvenated hope in me. This is because, even if Jesus suffered and died on the cross, he also rose in three days. After listening to the song, I became encouraged that the virus will soon be contained, and soon everything will go back to normal.