Good Friday
Friday 3 April 2026

Good Friday or Passionis Domini is the opener of Easter weekend, and the end of Lent. A very important liturgical holiday, marking the death of Jesus Christ. The performance of a passion oratorio was customary at that time, with notable works from composers like Händel, Telemann or Fasch.

Bach''s Matthaeus Passion, BWV 244, is of course a monumental work, often performed and well-loved around the world. It was probably first performed for the Vespers of Good Friday on April 11th, 1727, in the Thomas Kirche in Leipzig.

I''ve chosen a recording by John Eliot Gardiner, the English Baroque Soloists and the Monteverdi Choir, but there are so many great recordings to choose from, like the minimalistic recording by La Petite Bande, where the soloists also perform the choir parts as was possibly the case in Bach''s time.

Music for today

• Passio secundum Matthaeum, BWV 244
  (first performance 11 April 1727, Leipzig period)