Mache dich mein Herze rein, from Matthew Passion

There is not much new that can be written about J. S. Bach. The “proof” of his greatness, one might say, is in the hearing. And tonight we have the opportunity to sample two different aspects of his massive compositional output. Not much can be said in precise terms about the origins of the two works we will hear (an aria and an instrumental concerto), though some general comments can be firmly put forward.
Bach apparently composed five complete passions, though only two (Matthew, John) survive intact. The later work, the St. Matthew Passion, was likely first performed on Good Friday in 1727. It is an amazingly varied and profound piece and forms a keystone in the entire Baroque vocal repertory. The Passion story unfolds across several expressive levels (narrative, lyrical, devotional), and Bach often distinguishes these one from the other through competing musical styles or techniques. For instance, arias represent the lyrical or personal aspect of his retelling. “Mache dich, mein Herze, rein” is one of the final arias in the entire Matthew passion; it begins just after the death of Christ and His descent from the cross. The form is the familiar ABA da capo. Bach sets out the main motive as a neighbor note plus descending leap. During the texted portions he gets further emphasis on that figure by doubling it in both voice and violin. The melodic writing in section B, cast in G minor, is more angular, and the initial melodic interval—a falling diminished 4th sets the expressive tone of the section. At “Welt, geh aus” Bach sequences from G minor to F major on a rising 7th. The middle section concludes on a half cadence, and this open-ended quality suggests the presence of rounded binary design. Still the repeat of section A is literal; to deny classification as a da capo form would be to split hairs when our attention should remain on the expressivity.

(c) Jason Stell