Bach: Johannes-Passion Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Bach: Johannes-Passion Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 29, 2014

Quick: check your liturgical calendars. Does Easter come in late September this year? Bach spent much of his career in church positions, and some of his grandest music is keyed to religious ceremonies and events, but as fall turns to winter, most Bach lovers tend to think of his Christmas Oratorio instead one of the giant Passions he wrote for Eastertide. The Berlin Philharmonic is bucking the seasonal trend by offering this deluxe new edition of Bach’s timeless St. John Passion, the second Blu-ray release the vaunted orchestra has put out on its own in-house label.

Despite this release suffering from its own brand of “seasonal affective disorder,” it’s a sterling opportunity to revisit one of Bach’s grandest architectural achievements. However, this version comes at a price, and that stems from the fact that Oratorios are routinely one of the most problematic forms for both conductors and would be directors to address, since the form tends to exist in a kind of netherworld halfway between staged productions and sung concert performances. Here aging enfant terrible Peter Sellars engages in some risky gambits that include things like the ensemble reclining on the stage that may strike some purists as not in keeping with Bach’s reverential aesthetic. Sellars has long courted controversy, and while his approach here is far too solemn and serious to be termed Eurotrash, it might be thought of as Euro-Pretension, a reach for some kind of ephemeral visual analog to Bach’s music that never quite hits the mark. The music, however, is riveting, with both the Berlin Philharmonic and Sir Simon Rattle delivering the goods with authenticity, energy and an eye to Bach’s layering of choral and solo moments.

Bach: Johannes-Passion Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Bach: Johannes-Passion is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. There's not much visual pop here, given the fact that virtually all of the orchestra and most of the soloists and chorus is clad in black. There are occasional issues with crush, especially at the sides of the stage where lighting is inadequate and at times heads seem to bob without any body underneath them. Close-ups reveal abundant fine detail, including little wisps of hair or dust mites that float through the stage lighting. The image is very stable and there are no problematic artifacts to discuss.

Bach: Johannes-Passion Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Bach: Johannes-Passion features both a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track as well as an LPCM 2.0 option, both in the original German. There's beautiful spaciousness in evidence on the surround track, allowing a lot of breathing room for Bach's sometimes dense choral moments. The instruments are also placed spatially very realistically, at times enveloping the singers quite magically. Fidelity is top notch and dynamic range is beautifully wide, capturing everything from hushed soli to some of Bach's forceful and cathartic tutti moments.

Bach: Johannes-Passion Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Introduction by Simon Halsey (1080i; 20:13)


• Sir Simon Rattle and Peter Sellars in Conversation (1080i; 32:55)


• The Berliner Philharmoniker's Digital Concert Hall includes:

  Trailer (1080i; 1:25)

  Behind the Scenes (1080i; 5:06)

Bach: Johannes-Passion Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Sellars staging here will probably be the biggest bone of contention for some who want their oratorios straight up with no visual chasers. That said, there's nothing so outrageous here to completely distract from Bach's glorious music, and from a purely sonic standpoint, this release is aces. Housed again in a deluxe oversized book with copious notes, Bach: Johannes-Passion comes Recommended.