Bach: Matthäus-Passion, Aria “Mache dich, mein Herze, rein“ Fischer-Dieskau

For this Easter season, the recitative and aria “Mache dich, mein Herze, rein“ from Bach’s St Matthew Passion. Notes based on The Sacred Dramas of J.S. Bach by W. Murray Young: Recitative: The climax of the entire work comes in this recitative/arioso movement with its following aria for the same bass voice. Joseph of Arimathea is the actor expressing his personal emotions as he attends the burial of his Master. A motif of celestial peace permeates the whole movement a mystical aura unique in Bachs works which moves the listener by its text and entrances him by its sound. Schweitzer thinks that Bach expresses the tranquil peace of the falling twilight in this arioso. It is certainly a miniature tone poem well suited to the descent from the cross. Aria: This aria is the other outstanding movement in this Passion. Its rhythm shows the suave melody of a siciliano in 12/8 time, but it is the soloists feeling for the emotions expressed in his text that makes the listener r