Christ’s Entombment

Audio transcription

From an interview with Neville Rowley, curator of the Gemäldegalerie, spoken by Andrew Redmond, bass in the RIAS Kammerchor Berlin

It is possible to recognize the Holy Saints. In the middle, for instance, Maria Magdalena can be recognized by her long hair, her red dress and because she obviously cries. Yet the figure to her left is also in red with long hair. That’s an alter ego of Magdalena. She can’t be the Magdalena because she hasn’t got a halo. The painter plays a little, he includes variations in his work. The figures look similar, but they are different figures.

When you do art history, you are trained and used to identify these Holy Saints. Who is wearing which clothes? Brown is the colour of Fanciscus. Red is probably Magdalena with long hair. That’s a canonical representation.

Audio transcription

From an interview with Neville Rowley, curator of the Gemäldegalerie, spoken by Andrew Redmond, bass in the RIAS Kammerchor Berlin

This background is really beautiful. It suits the atmosphere quite well. This is Good Friday evening. It is said that Christ would resurrect after three days. Although Friday evening and Sunday morning are just half days, the liturgy makes it three days. The evening atmosphere fits well with this sad moment. The sun has set and it becomes night. Nothing happens on the Saturday, and on Sunday, when the sun rises again, the resurrection takes place.

This landscape, however, is anachronistic. It is painted twice. At first the background was golden, just like in other works of the time. The invention of landscape happens in this period, but this landscape must have been realized by a later artist.

It could be by Sano di Pietro the so-called Master of the Osservanza (a church in Sienna) who has worked on a lot of models by Martini during the fifteenth century.

Audio transcription

From an interview with Gregor Meyer, artistic assistant of the RIAS Kammerchor Berlin, spoken by Andrew Redmond, bass in the RIAS Kammerchor Berlin

It is really interesting that this piece is written in D major, which is very bright and joyful, and that’s not the usual theme of the Passion. But of course the Passion doesn’t finish on the entombment, although it is an important part of Easter. Naturally, the individuals’ sorrow and desperation are centers tage, but still, we see Jesus who is directly affected, with such great peacefulness. In his facial expression we might be able to catch a glimpse of his path to redemption and how he takes away our sins and gives us eternal life.

Eternal life in Stainer’s composition is made audible. It is a three-part work, and the refrain raises eternal life into a great Jubilee.

All this is then combined with the love of God, which was so great that he had sent his son down to earth for us humans. So the love of God is key to our redemption.

[Music.]