Jesum tradidit impius, ZWV 55:17

Jan Dismas Zelenka's Jesum tradidit impius is a profound setting for SATB choir, drawn from his Tenebrae responsories. This sacred Latin motet captures a pivotal moment from the Passion narrative. The text describes the betrayal of Jesus by the wicked to the chief priests and elders, and Peter's hesitant, distant following. It then continues to recount Jesus's arrival before Caiaphas, where scribes and Pharisees had gathered. Zelenka's composition, characteristic of his expressive and contrapuntal style, amplifies the dramatic tension and emotional weight of this biblical account, offering a powerful musical reflection on faith and betrayal.