I pray this video will never ever disappear from the public internet.

you can tell by the look in her eyes that she is somewhere far beyond as she sings!

Just revisited this video after first watching it 3 weeks ago, and here I am, a grown man, weeping. Never have I heard anything so profound, so moving, so touching...so heartfelt. And when I closed my eyes and meditated to the text as she sang "Herz und Auge weint vor dir bitterlich", my own strength utterly failed to hold back the tears. What nourishment for the soul!

Someone said once not every musician believes in God, but all musicians believe in Bach. I would say I believe in God because of Bach!!

Vor 300 Jahren komponiert, vor 50 Jahren analog aufgezeichnet, und 2023 immer noch extrem beeindruckend. Mein allerhöchster Respekt.

The violin player is Otto Büchner (1924-2008), a close friend of Karl Richter.

In the 50 years since this video was recorded, there have been many wonderful performances of this aria but none come close to the beauty and emotion of this performance. Exquisite!

I don't want to brag but I'm a great composer I have to admit.

My father used to put this masterpiece when i was a little kid, nowadays at 23 yr old it's one of my favourite pieces of art ever! Thank god ❤

The best interpretation of this piece of Bach ever ... Julia could make you fly with the angels with this voice pure and profound ...

Es ist schwer, nicht gerührt zu werden, wenn man Julia Hamari diese Arie singen hört. Buße, Barmherzigkeit und Hoffnung werden gefordert. Es ist ein Kompendium von so tiefen Gefühlen, dass unsere Seele vor Liebe weint.

Maybe the most beautiful music ever created.

The World is so much richer because it was visited by JS Bach. Thank you for this great performance of a true masterpiece.

"Erbarme dich mein Gott" after "This very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times". That's why it's so painful

I love opera, but I have never heard such a flawless and heavenly inspired interpretation of St Matthew's Passion. Hungarian singer here, Julia Hamari’s voice was forged in heaven. The orchestra is amazing. Otto Büchner and Julia Hamari deliver an out of this world performance of an indescribably moving piece of music by Bach. It's one of the best things I've ever listened to. Her voice is pure, untrammelled, pure perfection. It could make any doubtful mortal, like myself, and believe in God immediately considering the theme.

Oh, God. I have studied classical music for 32 years now, and I have never, I mean NEVER heard such a flawless and inspired interpretation of St Matthew's Passion. Her voice was forged in heaven. It's almost a spiritual extracorporeal experience.

Otto Buchner was an incredible violinist.

She sings as if her voice itself was a violin. Magnificent.

I've been obsessed with this video for nearly three years now. I keep coming back to it. The orchestra are amazing, but Otto Büchner and Julia Hamari deliver out of this world performances of an indescribably moving piece of music. It's still the best thing I've ever found on KZfaq.

This song makes me understand that Bach believes in God.

So tiefempfunden kann nur eine gläubige Frau singen. Ich habe nie eine bessere Interpretation gehört.

The best piece of music on Earth. And the best interpretation on behalf of the violinist and the singer I have ever heard. Incredible.

Bach was inspired by Pachelbel, Buxtehude, Vivaldi and other composers. This is an excellent example of how one’s knowledge, skills and talent can benefit the entire society and future generations. I believe we have to thank Bach and other truly devoted teachers and professionals who share their experience in order to make our world a better place to live in.

My most favorite version of this piece. So beautiful and heartfelt.

La voce di Julia Hamari è divina.

She is hungarian as i..i am proud over her..

When I'll be old, laying on my bed death, this is the last piece I want to listen.

This performance has never been superseded. Absolutely astonishing. The dialogue of the voice with the violin is heart-wrenching. Indeed, Otto Buchner's violin play gives stability to this very fragile incantation of human suffering. Bach is unparalleled in his ability to give voice to this and help us connect with each other.

So beautiful, it's almost unbearable.

Translation: Have mercy, my God, For the sake of my tears! See here, before you Heart and eyes weep bitterly. Have mercy, my God

how can there be such sad, wonderful beauty in this world?

wunderschön , zum weinen schön ,himmlisch ,göttlich

The BEST interpretation ever. She is great

She's my idol in Bach music..No one can sing Bach better than her.

Comparing this with later interpretations, no one comes close. I remember when I first heard this on vinyl in my teens, the impression is the same, 40 years later. Genius.

her wide eyes and look is somewhere else, she sees something beyond... words cant explain the feeling that she has and i have too..

I can listen to this a million times and it still doesn't get old. How strange is that?

I’ve literally watched/listened to every version of this duet-male or female-that I can find on KZfaq and, in my considered opinion, none of them comes close to the beauty of voice, the incredible legato (thus showing an impeccable technique), the depth of commitment of the singer to the lyrics, and the _fantastic_ lyrical playing by the violinist. Julia Hamari’s musicality and excellent taste is beyond amazing!

How can this video have so many dislikes?You don't have to be religious to appreciate the sincerity, sadness and profoundity of this music. This is as perfect as art gets.

I could stare at her singing this piece all day. She's perfect. The music's perfect. The camera work is terrific. Seven minutes and 34 seconds of delight.

I know of no other alto that achieved what Julia Hamari achieved singing Bach. To my knowledge she is top of the heap.

i dont understand a single word but this song touches my soul. you can feel the emotion !

It is quite plausible that humankind only existed for these 7:34 minutes to be witnessed by the universe.

Julia Hamari is also on aria duty in Rilling's Matthew Passion recording from about 1979. Her Erbarme from that just shades the Gonnenwein, I would say, but I would be hard pressed to choose between it and the above effort, as there's something about looking at her singing which adds to the performance and clouds comparison. Her perfect intonation, soprano like clarity of tone, and deep emotion sets her up there near the top for me.

OTTO BÜCHNERS Violinspiel ist zum Weinen schön. OTTO BÜCHNER's violin playing is beautiful to cry. Le jeu de violon d’OTTO BÜCHNER est beau à pleurer.

Oh meu Deus! Tem piedade de todos aqueles que nasceram, que vivem e que morrerão sem nunca saberem que esta obra, absolutamente comovente e única, foi composta há séculos.

Quand on pense que quantité de gens n'écoutent jamais de telles merveilles. Ce type de morceaux musicaux et lyriques devraient réunir la totalité des humains. Cela rendrait le monde plus uni et solidaire.

This is the most beautiful Bach creation I have listened to since JSB came into my life in 1951 during the St.Matheus performance in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Most solits singing this aria are inspired by the sublime musical balance between voice and instrument of this work, that they usually reach the optimum of their ability.

Best perfomance ever. Speechless

I'm an agnostic but Bach is my favorite composer. He understood human emotions more than any composer which leads me to believe he had his share of inner demons!

The pizzicati in the bass sounds like Peter's heart beat as he pours out his soul to the Lord. A blessed Good Friday to all, 2023.

this is more than my heart can take

The beauty of this piece and the perfection of this performance is almost overwhelming. And what an incredible recording, both the audio and video. This really is a treasure.

As many times as I have heard this aria sung by both men and women, nothing ever seems to compare in emotion, richness and "passion" as this version sung by Julia Hamari. Thank you. Your upload is the clearest on KZfaq.

DIVINE!!!

Csodálatosan énekelt, kedves Júlia

What an interpretation. Amazing Ms. Hamari with a voice from heaven. Mr. Buchner makes the violin sing as beautiful as Ms. Hamari. Great orchestra. Thank you Mr. Bach for such a marvelous music. I am a 70+ years old classical music lover. I discovered them recently. Where have you been KZfaq all these years? Thank you for enriching our lives. Love to all.

I read in Wikipedia that just this performance of Julia Hamary was used by famous Russian film director Andrey Tarkovsky in his last film The Sacrifice.

Erbarme dich, mein Gott, um meiner Zähren willen! Schaue hier, Herz und Auge weint vor dir bitterlich. Erbarme dich, mein Gott. Have mercy, my God, for the sake of my tears! See here, before you heart and eyes weep bitterly. Have mercy, my God.

Words fall short... The best interpretation I heard so far.

I am Braziliam and love this piece of Bach. The God bless Bach and this oschestra.

The combination of forces under the late Richter, in this masterpiece, so deeply emotional and heart tearing is superb. It is quite unlike the latest fashion of bloodless vampire singers who suck the very soul of the music instead of allowing themselves to be engulfed in its potency and be devoured by the very desire to express...

Этот голос навсегда...... Впервые услышал Юлию Хамари в "Жертвоприношении" Андрея Тарковского.

This music oversees almost all music ever written - it is the among the most profound all of Bach's output. It is beyond performance and beyond any sense of ego.

Most beautiful performance I've ever heard of a mezzo- soprano singing Bach: Julia Hamari indeed was "In trance and out of this world!" Thanks so very much for sharing!!!

Best interpretation ever! God and Bach were obviously working together on this masterpiece.

The Most Beautiful Sound in the Universe.

This should have more views then it gets, the hard work Bach put into making the Matthäus Passion. The tranquility of this piece leaves me to tears. Music today, isn't even music, it's utter trash. The Erbarme dich will (to me) be one of the greatest achievements in all music.

this is perfect

The Greatest Of All Time right here folks! This is a REAL masterpiece. GOD BLESS EVERYONE!

medicine for the soul

Julia Hamari est excellente et vraiment pénétrée par la dramaturgie de cet aria, peut être un sommet de la musique de tous les temps. Je la place au même rang que Nathalie Stutzman. Toutes deux absolument fabuleuses, bouleversantes. Le premier violon est sublime, envoûtant.

My son (15) has German examns next week, I help him, together we watch YT, Marmor stein und eisen bricht, Marlene Dietrich, Kleine Italiener, Rocco Granata, Nina Hagen, Rosenstolz and Rilke. Then suddenly I realize I had never ever shared the greatest with him. Thanks for this recording, I was crying behind my PC and shared my deepest feelings with my sonny boy.

J.Hamari is one the best to sing this "Erbarme dich" really is it very great interprétation. Thank you very much. andré

I am looking for the best interpretation to send this aria to a friend, so far this is by far the best. Her voice has so much power, You cannot give mercy unless you have power.

This is PERFECT. I don't know where there's room for criticism. This certainly seems to be the most definitive, flawless, perfect version on youtube. Whenever I'm in a fugue state, I hear this song in the back of my mind. Bach understands the soul like none other and Julia Hamari's rendition is gut-wrenching and beautiful.

Божественное произведение. ГОСПОДИ КАК ЭТО ПРЕКРАСНО.

Tarkovsky’s movie, Sacrifice has this music in the ending credit. It took me a while to find this piece.. i think her version matches closest to the one from the movie. The most beautiful cinematic scene was completed by this heavenly music.

J'ai participé à l'interprétation de cette oeuvre lorsque j'étais enfant et membre d'une manécanterie.C'était à Rennes en 1982 ou 83 .Ce concert m'avait bouleversé, car me retrouver au coeur d'un tel orchestre était une première pour moi .Mais redécouvrir cette oeuvre par cette interprétation ci ... Le 1er violon et Julia Hamari en ont fait un diamant sans pareil ! Je pourrai l'écouter en boucle pendant des heures !

Absolute immaterial perfection pure heaven

This is the humanity's lullaby , and the cradle gently cradled by these great performers

I have never seen such intense eyes.. This makes my hair stand every time.. Bach is the strongest proof - among the few and quite possibly the only proof available - that God does exist. His arias are nothing short of absolutely divine and godly. The only explanation for his music is God. Surely, he must exist if such a genius as Bach so firmly believed in him that he'd devote such masterpieces to his being. I now firmly believe he does exist after my whole life of questioning and then denying his existence. My heart truly swells from the passion of Bach's Erbarme Dich. I'm kind of hyperventilating at its sheer perfection. I want to cry. My tears are welling in my eyes watching Julia Hamari's rendition in the dark. Watching her, I see her mystical, mesmerized eyes see Him. Oh, my God, have mercy on me.

Sincere, honest, opened and naked.. This is the way this God Music Must Be Performed.. Thank You...

This is artistry at its finest. There is so much tenderness, warmth and passion in the sound of the violinist and contralto solo. It is the highest aspiration of what Bach should sound like. Thank you Julia and Rheinhard.

Replay and replay and replay! I listened 100000000...0 times....

Had Julia Hamari's "Erbarme Dich" played at my mother's funeral. Best ever interpration i.m.h.o.

Meu Deus! Indescritível. Não há adjetivo que possa fazer jus à Música, ao Compositor, à Orquestra e à Intérprete. DIVINO!

this is absolute perfection

Wow, What a lead violinist and performance! Bravo

This is a wake up call to all of us! We have all denied the Savior and yet have the opportunity for redemption and eternal life. Bach understood this, and his music - especially the St. Matthew passion extends that invitation to salvation to us all; don't miss it!

Her singing voice is out of this world, I seem to be in Heaven

love Julia Hamari!

I always loved Kathleen Ferrier's performance, but Julia Hamari is in a class of her own...

How Beautiful Voice Julia Hamair , I Love Bach very much.

magnifique

She makes you cry. There are no words for this.

Κορυφαια ερμηνεια...Μουσική καί εκτελεση που κατανύσσει την ψυχή και την οδηγει στην Προσευχή π.κ.ν.κ

This is the benchmark forever, as far as it's about Bach's "Erbarme Dich" Das ist für alle Zeiten der Maßstab für die Interpretation von Bachs "Erbarme Dich"

We don't have to wait to go to heaven to hear the angel sing this singer is brought angel voices and the sounds of music, to your living room

Fantastisch,ich liebe Hamari Julia!!! Sie war meine lehrerin auch.