The bass aria, Komm, süsses Kreuz (“Come, sweet Cross”), comes near the end of the second part of J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, first performed in 1727. Its text speaks of the suffering of Christ in his final days.
Arriving in the story’s most desolate moments, the veiled accompaniment of the viola da gamba (often played by the cello in modern performances) hovers as a gloomy and inescapable presence. The bass line progresses in halting, stumbling steps.
This performance by the Netherlands Bach Society features Jos van Veldhoven (conductor), Mieneke van der Velden (viola da gamba), and Andreas Wolf (bass):
Featured Image: “The Calling of Saint Matthew” (c. 1599–1600), Caravaggio
