Harmony Passion
  • mrcoppermrcopper
    Posts: 653
    For many years I've been thinking of writing a passion setting using a harmony of the Gospels, the story combined from all four Evangelists, and omitting some duplicate text here and there.

    Opinions please: would doing so be a good or a bad idea, and why?

    William Copper
  • Andrew Motyka
    Posts: 945
    For a concert context, a piece like this would be just fine. It would be unacceptable for use at Mass, however, since the text of the Passion should not be changed for the days on which it is required.
    Thanked by 3Liam kenstb Ben
  • Liam
    Posts: 4,952
    Bach did a bit of this with his St John Passion (which includes some bits from St Matthew). That said, one should be careful and very selective if attempting this, because the tone and even substance of each Passion (just like the accounts of the Resurrection) is distinctive, and merging them together the way the Infancy Narratives of Matthew and Luke are commonly merged at Christmas may end up make the whole less than the sum of the parts. And, of course, it would not be usable in liturgy at all. The "Seven Last Words" is a more traditional approach at blending that doesn't try to harmonize all of the Passion texts into a whole, and I suspect that's instructive.
    Thanked by 2mrcopper Andrew Motyka
  • kenstb
    Posts: 369
    If you are composing for concert purposes, I would love to see what you come up with. I would suggest not combining the narratives since each has a distinct feel. Have you thought of what resources you would be writing for?
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Of course, in a non-liturgical setting, you're free to do whatever you wish. But with that being said, I would strongly encourage you to just use one gospel, and not destroy the integrity found in each. They are all different stories, and I would encourage you to keep them distinct. I would pick one, and keep the text intact.

    Just my two cents.
    Thanked by 2kenstb kevinf
  • mrcoppermrcopper
    Posts: 653
    Thank you, very helpful. The idea that each has its own feel, story, and integrity, and that it is worth preserving even in concert music, makes a lot of sense. And somehow I had forgotten the Seven Last Words as a mini-version of the harmony idea: thanks, Liam. Kenstb, these days I seem to be oriented to large or small: chorus and orchestra, or chorus SAB a cappella with simple organ drone, perhaps. Haven't made up my mind, since I usually want to have a good sense of the full text to be used before writing any music.

    William
  • CGM
    Posts: 685
    If you do decide to do it, you might want to read Rev. Raymond Brown's A Crucified Christ in Holy Week, where he does a brief study of each passion account. Or if you've got the time for it, his massive work Death of the Messiah (vol. 1 & vol. 2), where he tries to harmonize the four passion accounts.

    He is sometimes controversial, sometimes accused of over-psychologizing people or adding detail to the accounts that is simply not there. But he is nothing if not thorough, and his stuff makes for engrossing reading, whether or not you end up believing the whole of his synthesis.
    Thanked by 1mrcopper
  • mrcoppermrcopper
    Posts: 653
    Thanks, they look very interesting; just ordered both volumes of Death of the Messiah. I had been using a rather peculiar book, "A Harmony of the Gospels" by A. T. Robertson.

    William
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