Richter conducts Bach: St John Passion

Karl Richter and his Munich forces present a performance of Bach's St John Passion, his earlier – and arguably more directly emotional and dramatic – setting of the Passion story. Drawing inspiration and primarily setting texts from the Gospel according to St John, Bach created his first large scale masterpiece; he conducted the premiere himself in Leipzig on Good Friday 1724. Richter's performance – featuring some of the finest Bach singers of the time – was filmed Swedish director Arne Arnbom in the Stiftskirche Marienmünster in Dießen, Bavaria, on which construction began just four years before the work's premiere.

Soloists: 

Helen Donath (Soprano), Julia Hamari (Contralto), Horst R. Laubenthal (Tenor), Siegmund Nimsgern (Bass), Peter Schreier (Tenor), Ernst Gerold Schramm (Bass)

Ensembles: 

Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester

Conductor: 

Karl Richter