Bach’s St. Matthew Passion as we know it today evidently had a long  history dating back before  1727. It is unclear whether the work performed at the Thomaskirche on Good Friday 1729 was based on a still earlier version. Whatever the case, the surviving version of 1729 presents the work in a form strikingly different from its later incarnation. For example,  the opening section ends  with the chorale “ Jesum   lass  ich   nicht  von  mir ” which was replaced by the large-scale cantus  firmus  chorus “O  Mensch ,  bewein   dein   Sünde  gross” for the 1736 performance.<br>
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The well-known alto aria “Ach! nun ist mein Jesus hin ” is still assigned  to a bass in the earlier  version, and the aria “ Komm süsses  Kreuz ” calls for a lute instead of the later viola da gamba .<br>
Moreover, the pieces for double chorus only require a single continuo group. Other differences can be found in the instrumental scoring and voice-leading. The early version  of the St. Matthew  Passion is thus a most interesting addition to the great concert repertoire.<br>
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The corresponding volume of the “New Bach Edition” (series II/volume 5b) serves as a conducting score.<br>