J. S. Bach. Manuscript parts for the final chorus of the "St. Matthew Passion", BWV 244, C18th

BACH, JOHANN SEBASTIAN

Eighteenth-century manuscript performing parts for the final chorus ("Wir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder") of the St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244

comprising the complete parts for Chorus 1 and 2, each consisting of four voices ("Canto", "Alto", "Tenore" and "Basso"), written in brown ink by a single scribe, pencil correction to penultimate bar of chorus 1 alto part

8 loose leaves, upright 4to (35.5 x 21.5cm), ruled by a single-headed rastrum and written on one side, loose nineteenth-century paper wrapper inscribed by Ernst Rudorff ("Ein Exemplar Chorstimmen zum Schlusschor der Matthaeuspassion von Joh. Sch. Bach in alter Abschrift..."), no place or date, C18th, light dust-staining, small tear and crease to chorus 1 tenor part 

EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY MANUSCRIPT PARTS FOR THE FAMOUS FINAL CHORUS OF BACH'S TOWERING CHORAL MASTERPIECE, THE ST. MATTHEW PASSION.

NO PART OF THE ST. MATTHEW PASSION WAS PUBLISHED IN ANY FORM BEFORE 1830: a full score and vocal score were published only in 1830 by A. M. Schlesinger; an extremely rare edition of the parts appeared the following year (only one copy is known - Riemenschneider Bach Institute, Ohio - in addition to a corrected proof of the eight engraved choral parts, sold in these rooms 22 May 2018).

These manuscripts were part of the collection of the Berlin pianist, composer and conductor Ernst Rudorff (1840-1916), the basis of which was formed in 1827 when a group of J. S. Bach autographs were acquired at auction by Rudorff's grandfather Carl Pistor. Pistor's musical daughter Betty (born in 1808) sang in the Berlin Singakademie, which under Mendelssohn's direction gave the legendary performance of the St. Matthew Passion in March 1829, largely responsible for reviving the fortunes of the work.