Themes: Injustice, Mockery
The chorale opens in a somber minor key, reflecting the injustice and tension of Jesus' trial, with dissonant harmonies illustrating the conflicting interactions.
Themes: Sorrow, Burden, Compassion
A processional tempo and legato lines convey the weight of the cross and Jesus’ interactions, symbolized by harmonic suspensions resolving to depict moments of compassion.
Themes: Agony, Sacrifice, Forgiveness
This movement builds in intensity, with sparse beginnings leading to a dramatic pause at Jesus’ plea for forgiveness, followed by dissonance resolving into peace.
Themes: Desolation, Surrender, Hope
Beginning somberly and transitioning from minor to major chords, this movement reflects Jesus' final moments, his surrender, and the glimmer of hope that follows.
Themes: Revelation, Awe
The chorale concludes in a robust major key, embodying the centurion's realization with confident harmonies that underscore a profound sense of revelation and awe.