Passionsoratorium

Despite the rich tradition provided by the former genre of the Passion of Christ set to music, only two works have been able to establish themselves permanently - the two monumental Passions by Johann Sebastian Bach. The Passion Oratorio by Johann Ernst Bach, the nephew, godson and pupil of Johann Sebastian, is one of the lesser-known works. With his explicit commitment to sacred music, Johann Ernst Bach occupies an extremely isolated position among the Protestant German composers of the second half of the 18th century. Although the religious works of both Telemann and J. S. Bach were, in his opinion, "admirable masterpieces", he strongly criticized the decay of sacred music during his own generation and demanded that this be counteracted by "artistic and regular styles of composition".