Johann Sebastian Bach - St John Passion (James Richman)

Information

Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

• St John Passion, BWV 245

Thomas Cooley, tenor

David Grogan, bass

Elijah McCormack, soprano

David Ferguson, baritone

Andrew Dittman, baritone

Patrick J. Gnage, baritone

Nicholas Garza, countertenor

Dallas Bach Society

James Richman, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: PM Classics

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Johann Sebastian Bach’s St John Passion, first performed in 1724, is his earliest surviving Passion and exists in multiple revised forms from 1725 to 1749. Structured in two parts, the work underwent continual modification, with later additions and alternative arias preserved only in modern appendices. Unlike the more definitive St Matthew Passion, it lacks a single authoritative version, reflecting Bach’s evolving artistic intentions across performances. Often noted for its dramatic, almost operatic qualities, the piece occupies a unique place in his output. This recording adopts a new scholarly edition prepared by Malcolm Bruno.

James Richman is a distinguished American harpsichordist, fortepianist, and conductor, widely recognized for his leadership in Baroque music and opera. Invited in 1995 to serve as Artistic Director of the Dallas Bach Society, he has played a pivotal role in advancing historically informed performance in the United States. The first musician since Leonard Bernstein to graduate from Harvard, Juilliard, and the Curtis Institute, he studied with eminent teachers including Max Rudolf, Herbert Blomstedt, Rosina Lhevinne, and Albert Fuller, and earned multiple international prizes in early keyboard competitions. Founder of the Concert Royal ensemble and longtime collaborator with Saint Thomas Church in New York, he has conducted major Baroque productions internationally and was named Chevalier in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government.

High Resolution 24-bit / 96 kHz