We’re currently studying it in a music class I’m taking. We will be pretty much until the end of the semester.
A lot of people rave about it. They think it’s the most beautiful pieces of music ever; I have a friend who studied it last year and says it was the final push in her converting to Christianity*.
I feel like I’m missing something in it. It’s…music. It’s OK. From a technical standpoint it’s well-done, but I’d consider it “average” for Bach.
So - any fans? If so, any ideas as to what I’m missing? Why is it so highly regarded?
*Which she has since shied away from again but that’s really irrelevant.
Blasphemer! I agree that a lot of SMP is meh, but some of the movements have amazing power–particularly Kommt, ihr Toechter, helft mir klagen; Blute nur, du liebes Herz; and others. I think the final movement is monumental–Wir setzen uns mit Traenen nieder. A very powerful piece of music. When I was evacuated from Beirut and had to leave all my music behind, the two CDs I bought to keep myself from going insane were St. Matthew Passion and the Mass in B Minor.
I think you may be suffering from “hearing it on CD” syndrome, which, sadly, tends to suck the life from most great large-scale musical works.
I heard the SMP live at Orchestra Hall in Cleveland when I was in college, and I was completely transfixed for 3+ hours. I don’t even think I took the time to blink. I’m still moved by the experience years later.
But I don’t think I’d sit through it on CD… in fact I probably wouldn’t last half an hour.
My personal favorite aria is “Mache dich mein Herze rein.” Gorgeous stuff.