Hans Jörg Mammel - Theile: St. Matthew Passion (2020)

In our series “Music from Wolfenbüttel Castle”, the Matthew Passion “The Suffering and Dying of Our Lord Jesus Christ” was performed and recorded in the fourth concert of the 2019 series. After the death of Johann Rosenmüller in 1684, the Wolfenbütteler Hof appointed a new conductor: Johann Theile, who, from the perspective of Duke Anton Ulrich and his musical advisors, appeared from the start as a very suitable candidate for this task. It can be assumed that It was Theile's experience in the field of opera that recommended him for the position of court conductor in Wolfenbüttel - after all, during his tenure from 1685 to 1689, his own opera theater was built in Wolfenbüttel Castle, where works by Lully and Italian composers were built came to the performance. The multifaceted nature of Theile's art of composition is particularly reflected in his St. Matthew Passion, published in Lübeck in 1673. It combines elements of traditional church style with advanced techniques of dramatic storytelling and song-like contemplation. In their subtle emotionality, which is expressed both in the direction of the singing voice and in the texture of the instrumental ritornelle, the arias and canzonettes, in the spirit of the then pietistic currents, invite you to make a private, emotional reference to biblical events. While most listeners may be familiar with the accompaniment of the words of Christ by string instruments from the passions of Johann Sebastian Bach, playing around the evangelist narration by viols in Theiles Passion seems unusual.