ing ▁part ▁– ▁and ▁the ▁a rias . ▁The ▁smaller ▁parts ▁( Peter , ▁Ma id , ▁Serv ant ) ▁are ▁sometimes ▁performed ▁by ▁cho ir ▁members . ▁ ▁Vers ions ▁▁ ▁Research ers ▁have ▁discovered ▁that ▁Bach ▁re vised ▁his ▁St ▁John ▁Pass ion ▁several ▁times ▁before ▁producing ▁a ▁final ▁version ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 4 0 s . ▁Altern ate ▁numbers ▁that ▁Bach ▁introduced ▁in ▁ 1 7 2 5 ▁but ▁later ▁removed ▁can ▁be ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁append ix ▁to ▁scores ▁of ▁the ▁work , ▁such ▁as ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁Neue ▁Bach - Aus gabe ▁( and ▁heard ▁in ▁the ▁recording ▁by ▁Em manuel ▁Music ▁directed ▁by ▁Craig ▁Smith , ▁c ited ▁below ). ▁ ▁The ▁St ▁John ▁Pass ion ▁was ▁not ▁Bach ' s ▁first ▁passion . ▁While ▁he ▁was ▁working ▁as ▁Kon z ert meister ▁( 1 7 1 4 – 1 7 1 7 ) ▁in ▁We imar , ▁Bach ▁possibly ▁wrote ▁a ▁Pass ion , ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁We imar er ▁Pass ion , ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁now ▁lost . ▁Sometimes ▁while ▁listening ▁to ▁the ▁St ▁John ▁Pass ion ▁today ▁one ▁can ▁sense ▁an ▁older ▁feel ▁to ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁music , ▁and ▁some ▁sch ol ars ▁believe ▁that ▁those ▁port ions ▁are ▁the ▁surv iving ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁We imar ▁Pass ion . ▁Un like ▁the ▁St ▁Matthew ▁Pass ion , ▁to ▁which ▁Bach ▁made ▁very ▁few ▁and ▁ins ign ific ant ▁changes , ▁the ▁St ▁John ▁Pass ion ▁was ▁subject ▁to ▁several ▁major