Mass in B minor: Crucifixus

Some of the most evocative and emotional music ever written, the "Crucifixus" movement from the Mass in B minor depicts Christ's suffering and death -- you can hear the striking lashes, the plodding steps of His painful walk to Golgotha, the twisting of the crown of thorns, the nailing and the crying, the sighing and the dying.  Bach's use of the passacaglia form here leads to the possibility of extreme dissonances, all within the creative framework of a repeated bass line, which sounds as if it is endlessly marching down, down, down...  Full of remarkable moments, the "Crucifixus" movement -- this masterwork within a masterwork -- will never cease to amaze us.

Performance of "Crucifixus" by four soloists and orchestra, as part of the performance of the Mass in B minor by the Netherlands Bach Society:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FLbiDrn8IE&t=3952s