„Are you familiar with Bach’s Saint John Passion? Isn’t it so much more daring, grand, and poetic than the St. Matthew Passion? And how concise it is, how perfectly brilliant, especially in the choirs. What a masterpiece! I wish the world could see it!” – wrote Robert Schumann to Georg Dietrich Otto, a musical director in Hamburg in his letter dated April 2, 1849.

Our Close to Bach series examines the St. John Passion under the dual tension of analysis and interpretation. Although even the most detailed study cannot reveal all the connections in a masterpiece, a true musician is nevertheless driven by curiosity to unravel the composer’s intentions and reveal them during the performance in order to bring the audience closer to the hidden secrets of the gospel.