Der Tod Jesu

Der Tod Jesu occupies a middle ground between oratorio and cantata and cannot be strictly defined as either sacred or secular. The text by Ramler stands out through the suggestive power of its vocabulary and the Affekt-laden depiction of various emotions, of which there is naturally no lack in a Passion. His Passion was his most popular work and completely narrative in character, with no independent characters. Overall Ramler’s texts fulfil the critical demands that Telemann laid down for poetry that was intended to be set to music. In this Passion Cantata Telemann provides musical innovation; he leans strongly in the direction of the full-blown styles of Gluck or Haydn. Each note of Telemann’s composition emits the scent of the early Classical style, although the theatrical contrasts of the Affekten still casts a strong Baroque influence. Furthermore, he paid more attention to the chorus in this work than was normally his custom. Der Tod Jesu provides them with contemplative evocations with a penetrating emotional weight. The accompagnato recitatives are the most striking feature of the piece which, thanks to the powerful support of the orchestra, possesses an unusually strong expressive power and provides the work as a whole with an incredibly rich palette of sounds.