During the second half of the eighteenth century a new type of Passion oratorio with roots in the Empfindsamerkeit literary movement gained popularity in Germany. In this style, dramatic narrative was replaced with a lyric and contemplative text. Rather than unfolding the events of the biblical drama, the librettist assumed the listener’s familiarity with the story and concentrated instead on the expression of emotions evoked by the narrative. Details of this style are described in an essay publ...