Shortly after Bach’s death in 1750, his Markus Passion was hand-delivered by his son C.P.E. to his Leipzig publisher, Johann Breitkopf. We’re deeply familiar with his John and Matthew Passions but it was not for a century that the editor collating a new complete J.S. Bach edition noticed that the music for the Markus was missing. An expert borrower of his own music, it seems likely that Bach recycled material from his Trauer-Ode for his former employer in Köthen. This new edition by Malcolm Bruno offers three beautiful and virtually unknown arias to fill the empty places left by the shorter music of the Trauer-Ode, along with a unique role for an actor as Evangelist. This “pocket passion” of just four singers, actor, and single strings complements Bach’s two enormous Passions with the intimacy of chamber music.

John Butt music director
Anna Dennis soprano
James Hall countertenor
Nicholas Mulroy tenor
Matthew Brook baritone

Joseph Marcell actor
Malcolm Bruno editor
Bill Barclay writer, stage director