After his death, Johann Sebastian Bach quickly fell into obscurity and for a long time, his music was only known to a few composers and scholars. This changed suddenly on 11 March 1829 with Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s performance of Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion” at the Berlin Sing-Akademie. His complete performance of the Passion can justifiably be described as the starting point of a broadly-based Bach renaissance.<br>
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At first, Mendelssohn did not present the full-length “St. Matthew Passion”, but reduced the work to approximated half its original extent. He brought the orchestral forces into line with the instruments available in the late 1820s. This shortened version of the “St. Matthew Passion”, with its romanticised sound palette, has itself experienced a rediscovery in recent years. For the Mendelssohn anniversary year, the renowned musicologist Klaus Winkler has prepared a critical edition of Mendelssohn’s version, thereby enabling its revival in the repertoire.<br>