Juditha Triumphans
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''Juditha triumphans devicta Holofernis barbarie'' (
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
: 'Judith triumphant after defeating the barbarity of Holofernes'), RV 644, is an
oratorio An oratorio () is a musical composition with dramatic or narrative text for choir, soloists and orchestra or other ensemble. Similar to opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguisha ...
by
Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist, impresario of Baroque music and Roman Catholic priest. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lif ...
. Although the rest of the oratorio survives completely intact, the overture has been lost. The
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...
was written by Iacopo Cassetti based upon the
Book of Judith The Book of Judith is a deuterocanonical book included in the Septuagint and the Catholic Church, Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Christian Old Testament of the Bible but Development of the Hebrew Bible canon, excluded from the ...
. The exact date of composition and performance of ''Juditha triumphans'' are not known, but the allegorical treatment of the Venetian defense of
Corfu Corfu ( , ) or Kerkyra (, ) is a Greece, Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands; including its Greek islands, small satellite islands, it forms the margin of Greece's northwestern frontier. The island is part of the Corfu (regio ...
dominated public discussion in Venice throughout 1716. This work was an allegorical description of the victory of the Venetians (the Christians) over the Turks in August 1716. The work was commissioned to celebrate the victory of the Republic of Venice over the Turks during the siege of Corfu: in July 1716, the Turks had landed on Corfu and set siege to the island. The population resisted the occupation and, in August, Venice signed an alliance with the
Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (disambiguation), Emperor of the Romans (; ) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period (; ), was the ruler and h ...
. On 18 August, under the leadership of Count Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg, the decisive battle was won and the Turks abandoned the island. Although it has been suggested that ''Juditha triumphans'' was performed at the Ospedale della Pietà in November 1716, the victorious General Schulenburg, to whom the work is dedicated, could not have been present for any performance prior to January 3, 1717.


Score

All characters, male and female, were interpreted by women of the Ospedale della Pietà. They are: * ''Juditha'',
contralto A contralto () is a classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range is the lowest of their voice type, voice types. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare, similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to ...
, a young Bethulian widow * ''Holofernes'',
contralto A contralto () is a classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range is the lowest of their voice type, voice types. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare, similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to ...
, Assyrian general * ''Vagaus'',
soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...
, eunuch, Holofernes's squire * ''Abra'',
soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...
, Juditha's handmaid * ''Ozias'',
contralto A contralto () is a classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range is the lowest of their voice type, voice types. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare, similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to ...
, high priest of Bethulia An all-female choir sings the parts of the
Assyria Assyria (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , ''māt Aššur'') was a major ancient Mesopotamian civilization that existed as a city-state from the 21st century BC to the 14th century BC and eventually expanded into an empire from the 14th century BC t ...
n soldiers and of the Bethulian women. In the tradition of the Ospedale della Pietà, where some of the singers were trained to sing below the normal contralto range, the chorus is scored for SATB. The
string orchestra A string orchestra is an orchestra consisting solely of a string section made up of the bowed strings used in Western Classical music. The instruments of such an orchestra are most often the following: the violin, which is divided into first a ...
is augmented by
timpani Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion instrument, percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a Membranophone, membrane called a drumhead, ...
, 2
trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...
s, mandolino, 4
theorbo The theorbo is a plucked string instrument of the lute family, with an extended neck that houses the second pegbox. Like a lute, a theorbo has a curved-back sound box with a flat top, typically with one or three sound holes decorated with rose ...
s, 5 "viole all'inglese" ( viols), 1 viola d'amore, 2 recorders, 2 chalumeaux (soprano), "Clareni" (
clarinet The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell. Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...
), 2
oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double-reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common type of oboe, the soprano oboe pitched in C, ...
s,
organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...
.


Plot

The Assyrian king
Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar II, also Nebuchadrezzar II, meaning "Nabu, watch over my heir", was the second king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, ruling from the death of his father Nabopolassar in 605 BC to his own death in 562 BC. Often titled Nebuchadnezzar ...
sends an army against
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
to demand overdue tributes. Under the leadership of the general Holofernes, the Assyrians lay siege to the town of Bethulia and are about to conquer it. The young Jewish widow Judith goes to him to implore mercy. He falls in love with her and she indulges him. After a rich banquet and having drunk much wine, Holofernes falls asleep. Judith beheads him, flees the enemy camp, and returns victorious to Bethulia.


Recordings

* 1941: Elena Nicolai (J), Antenore Reali (H), Gino del Signore (V), Rina Corsi (A), Antonio Cassinelli (O); Orchestra dell'Accademia Musicale Chigiana / Unione Corale Senese e Piccolo Coro dell'Accademia di Santa Cecilia di Roma - Vittorio Baglioni (maestro del coro); Antonio Guarnieri (conductor) — Fonitcetra. * 1951: Maria Amadini (J), Marcello Cortis (H), Emilio Cristinelli (V), Rosanna Giancola (A), Giuliano Ferrein (O); Chorus of the Teatro La Fenice, Venice / Symphony Orchestra of the Scuola Veneziana - Angelo Ephrikian — The Opera Society. * 1964: Zsuzsa Barlay (J), Zsolt Bende (H), Jószef Réti (V), Margit László (A), Jószef Dene (O); Budapest Madrigal Choir (György Czigány) / Hungarian State Orchestra - Ferenc Szekeres — Hungaroton. * 1968: Oralia Dominguez (J), Irene Compañez (H), Bianca Maria Casoni (V), Emilia Cundari (A), Maria Grazia Allegri (O); Chorus of the Accademia Filarmonica Romana (Luigi Colacicchi) / Angelicum Chamber Orchestra - Alberto Zedda — Angelicum. * 1974: Birgit Finnilä (J), Julia Hamari (H), Elly Ameling (V), Ingeborg Springer (A), Annelies Burmeister (O); Rundfunks-Solistenvereinigung Berlin (
Dietrich Knothe Dietrich Knothe (6 January 1929 – 7 September 2000) was a German conductor and choral conductor. He is the winner of the 1985 Handel Prize presented by the city of Halle. Biography Knothe was born in Dresden. At the age of 10, he joined th ...
) / Berlin Chamber Orchestra - Vittorio Negri — Philips Classics. * 1976: Verena Piller (J), Philippe Huttenlocher (H), Pierre-André Blaser (V), Kathrin Graf (A); Ensemble Alauda de Genève (Jean-Louis Rebut) / Collegium Academicum de Genève - Robert Dunand — Concert Hall. * 1990: Gloria Banditelli (J), Judit Németh (H), Annette Markert (V), Maria Zádori (A), Katalin Gémes (O); Savaria Vocal Ensemble (István Deáky) / Capella Savaria - Nicholas McGegan — Hungaroton. * 1997: Ann Murray (J), Susan Bickley (H), María Cristina Kiehr (V), Sarah Connolly (A), Jean Rigby (O); The Choir of the King's Consort / The King's Consort - Robert King — Hyperion. * 2000: Magdalena Kožená (J), Maria José Trullu (H), Marina Comparato (V), Anke Herrmann (A), Tiziana Carraro (O); Coro da Camera dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (Martino Faggiani) / Montis Regalis Academy - Alessandro de Marchi — Opus 111 / Naive. * 2000: Barbara di Castri (J), Lucia Sciannimanico (H), Nicki Kennedy (V), Alessandra Rossi (A), Rowena Anketell (O); Coro da Camera Italiano, Roma / Modo Antiquo - Federico Maria Sardelli — Amadeus. * 2001: Delores Ziegler (J), Gloria Banditelli (H),
Cecilia Gasdia Cecilia Gasdia (; born 14 August 1960, Verona) is an Italian operatic soprano. Biography Gasdia studied music and piano at the Conservatorio di Verona, graduating in 1980. That same year she won the first prize in the "''New Voices for Opera''" ...
(V), Manuela Custer (A), Laura Brioli (O); Coro Filarmonico Antonio Vivaldi (Giampaolo Grazioli)/ I Solisti Veneti;
Claudio Scimone Claudio Scimone (23 December 1934 – 6 September 2018) was an Italian conductor. He was born in Padua, Italy and studied conducting with Dimitri Mitropoulos and Franco Ferrara. He established an international reputation as a conductor, as wel ...
— Warner Fonit. * 2007:
Sara Mingardo Sara Mingardo (born 2 March 1961) is an Italian classical contralto who has had an active international career in concerts and operas since the 1980s. Her complete recording of Anna in Hector Berlioz's '' Les Troyens'' won a Gramophone Award and ...
(J), Guillemette Laurens (H), Roberta Invernizzi (V), Manuela Custer (A), Tiziana Pizzi (O); Coro della Radio Svizzera / I Barocchisti - Diego Fasolis — RTSI Multimedia. * 2007: Sally-Anne Russell (J), David Walker (H), Fiona Campbell (V), Sara Macliver (A), Renée Martin (O); Cantillation / Orchestra of the Antipodes - Attilio Cremonesi — ABC Classics. * 2019: Marianne Beate Kielland (J), Marina de Liso (H), Rachel Redmond (V), Lucía Martín-Cartón (A), Kristin Mulders (O); La Capella Reial de Catalunya / Le Concert des Nations -
Jordi Savall Jordi Savall i Bernadet (; born 1 August 1941) is a Spanish Conducting, conductor, composer and viol player. He has been one of the major figures in the field of Western early music since the 1970s, largely responsible for popularizing the viol ...
— Alia Vox.


References

* Gianfranco Formichetti, ''Venezia e il prete col violino. Vita di Antonio Vivaldi'', Bompiani (2006), . * Michael Talbot, ''Antonio Vivaldi'', Insel Verlag (1998),
Libretto
in Latin with parallel translation into English.
Juditha triumphans
ed. Frances Bennion, Edmund Correia, Jr., and Eleanor Selfridge-Field. Center for Computer Assisted Research in the Humanities, 2013
scoreparts
.

of the performance by the Academy of Santa Cecilia. * Walter Kolneder, ''Guía de Vivaldi'', Alianza Editorial (1989), {{Authority control Oratorios Ottoman–Venetian War (1714–1718) Compositions by Antonio Vivaldi Cultural depictions of Judith 1710s in the Republic of Venice 1716 oratorios