Passionate Probing

The first of a few books that deal with anti-Semitism in music - Michael Marissen's Lutheranism, Anti-Judaism, and Bach's St. John Passion - arrived last week. It was an exciting read, quite unlike anything I have seen before, but did not completely satisfy.

The field is obviously Marissen's specialism: not only is there a vast background knowledge of the life and works of Johann Sebastian Bach, but there is also a well-informed spine of key texts on anti-Semitism (some of these, such as those by Gavin Langmuir, I need to read myself). These two fields are integrated well and with obvious experience, but with this comes an over-conciseness which spoils both the argument and the reading experience of the book.

Despite Marissen's claim that the text is for academics and hobbyists alike, there is a clear expectation of Christianity - or at least familiarity with Christian terminology. The word 'passion', for example (quite a key one in this book!) is never explained. Nor are key theological concepts such as the symbolism of the cross. The text, whilst dealing with anti-Jewishness, thus pre-excludes Jews from a full understanding of itself; it is clear that the real intended audience are people like Marissen himself: Christian members of Bach choirs.

That said, Marissen does know his stuff, and accounts for a thorough and nuanced exploration of the form and content of St. John's Passion. His probing of Bach's own views is particularly productive. Most exciting, however, is the debate surrounding Luther's own anti-Semitism. Marissen is keen to stress that the racially discriminative term is relatively recent, and that anti-Judaism was far more commonplace in Bach's day. Not only this, but Marissen theologically backs this up with Lutheran beliefs about original sin and the perpetrators of the crucifixion. This is where the book really shines through: anti-Jewishness in any form is not pre-supposed simply because 'everyone was racist/prejudiced back then'.

It is a shame, then, that the extension of this historical probing is not fully realised in the text. Rich, fascinating passages on the relations between Lutheranism and later German thought, and particularly with Nazism, are relegated to masses of footnotes; trying to keep up with these makes reading a jumpy and not quite satisfactory affair. Furthermore, there seems to be a lack of interrogation of how choirs, directors, and orchestras have dealt with this theological and historical knowledge over centuries of performance. Whilst Marissen himself offers suggestions for more respectful and aware modes of production, there is no exploration of precedent for this; a look at the use of Bach's music during the Third Reich, for example, would have been fascinating. There is also a lack of relation to contemporary Jewish experience (save another footnote on merchants in Leipzig): how did Jewish performers take to the work, and what do they think now? How did Felix Mendelssohn, one of Bach's main advocates, see the piece?

Overall, then, a well-researched book - and one full of passion - which seems squeezed into an overly-tight space. The title might be better written as Lutheranism and Anti-Judaism in Bach's St. John Passion, given its focus on the piece itself. In its novelty as a text focusing on music and anti-Semitism, however, it can only be commended.

Bibliography:

Marissen, M. (1998). Lutheranism, anti-Judaism, and Bach's St. John Passion : With an annotated literal translation of the libretto. New York ; Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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