It is the time of year for St. John Passion and last night I
heard a splendid rendering of Bach’s Johannes
Passion in the Freiburg Münster.
Bach in his great talent managed to vividly bring home the story told in the
Gospel of St. John. Almost like an impressionist painter, with his choir, Bach brings
out the atmosphere, the [Jewish] crowds and hysteria. The result is anti-Jewish
agitation to the most beautiful music.
Sitting in the sombre gothic cathedral, I remembered my
mother – who sang in the choir that performed the Passion in Israel in the late
60s and early 70s of last century – telling me that the words of the Johannes Passion made her feel more
uncomfortable than any text she had previously sung. At the time, I did not
really take much heed. I loved the music and that was enough. Having grown up
in Israel, anti-Judaism was something I had never experienced. My other, who
was born in Germany and had to flee with her family had first hand experience.
45 Year later, leaving the Freiburg Münster, I found myself thinking of the many generations of
Christians leaving their solemn churches after hearing Bach’s Johannes Passion depicting the Jews
driving the death of their Lord. How many of them, upon subsequently meeting a
Jew in the streets of their town, then reacted with hatred, aggression and even
violence, as a result of the animosity towards Jews that was planted in their
hearts with the aid of the beautiful, so very beautiful music of Johan
Sebastian Bach?
