The proverb “He who lives by the sword dies by the sword” and the idiom “washed his hands off the matter” come from the rich literature contained in the Gospel of Matthew.
This Gospel was turned by JS Bach into a rich sacred musical narrative called the St. Matthew Passion, a 3-hour-long performance sung on Good Fridays.
Yesterday I heard it performed in KL as part of the Bach Festival. I have previously heard it on CD, but to really appreciate the depth of the composition by JS Bach, one must see the words sung in German in their English translation on the screen.
Sir David Tang once famously said in his column in the FT, “One must hear St. John Passion on Good Friday and St. Matthew Passion on Easter Sunday.”
LWH @ KL and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall
26 July 2025