SACREDNESS IN SECULARITY: THE USE OF DANCE FORMS IN ST. MATTHEW PASSION

Written by Johann Sebastian BACH in 1727, St. Matthew Passion (Latin: Passio Domini nostri J. C. secundum Evangelistam Matthaeum, BWV 244) is arguably the most influential sacred oratorio during the Western music history. Unlike the stereotypical Gregorian-style hymns that flourished in the Middle Ages (which is still used in this passion mainly for the Evangelical parts), St. Matthew Passion largely applied ‘secular’ tunes, notably the dance forms, into a sacred religious context. With such question about this seemingly unusual layout, my essay will mainly describe the historical thoughts of music on Early Christian period, the Lutheran reformation on religious music, then followed by a brief analysis of St Matthew passion with the emphasis of its dance forms, in order to further understand the musical, philosophical and aesthetics value of this remarkable composition, and furthermore, the understanding of the general trend of thoughts on music and religion in Early Modern (Protestant) Germany.