La Giuditta
Encyclopedia
La Giuditta may refer to one of several Italian oratorios:
Each version of La Giuditta deals with the figure of Judith, from the Biblical Apocrypha
, who liberated the besieged city of Bethulia
by seducing and then beheading the enemy General Holofernes
. Judith and Holofernes are the two main roles common to all versions. Incidental characters, such as, in the larger Scarlatti Giuditta, Achior, a captain so revolted by Holofernes' brutality that he defects to the Israelite army, do not occur in other versions.
: La Giuditta, Rome, 1693. Libretto by Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni.
"Scarlatti considered it his finest oratorio, and its dramatic structure, rapidly interweaving brief scenes in Holofernes's camp with events in the troubled city, is remarkable."
: La Giuditta, Rome or Naples 1697, Libretto by Prince Antonio Ottoboni
, father of the cardinal. This smaller setting for three voices, strings and basso continuo, is known today as the "Cambridge" Giuditta, since its manuscript is conserved in the Rowe Music Library of King's College, Cambridge
.
: La Giuditta
Each version of La Giuditta deals with the figure of Judith, from the Biblical Apocrypha
Biblical apocrypha
The word "apocrypha" is today often used to refer to the collection of ancient books printed in some editions of the Bible in a separate section between the Old and New Testaments...
, who liberated the besieged city of Bethulia
Bethulia
Bethulia Bethulia Bethulia (Hebrew: בתוליה; in Greek Betuloua, is a Biblical city whose deliverance by Judith, when besieged by Holofernes, forms the subject of the Book of Judith....
by seducing and then beheading the enemy General Holofernes
Holofernes
In the deuterocanonical Book of Judith Holofernes was an invading general of Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar dispatched Holofernes to take vengeance on the nations of the west that had withheld their assistance to his reign...
. Judith and Holofernes are the two main roles common to all versions. Incidental characters, such as, in the larger Scarlatti Giuditta, Achior, a captain so revolted by Holofernes' brutality that he defects to the Israelite army, do not occur in other versions.
Scarlatti's Rome Giuditta
Alessandro ScarlattiAlessandro Scarlatti
Alessandro Scarlatti was an Italian Baroque composer especially famous for his operas and chamber cantatas. He is considered the founder of the Neapolitan school of opera. He was the father of two other composers, Domenico Scarlatti and Pietro Filippo Scarlatti.-Life:Scarlatti was born in...
: La Giuditta, Rome, 1693. Libretto by Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni.
"Scarlatti considered it his finest oratorio, and its dramatic structure, rapidly interweaving brief scenes in Holofernes's camp with events in the troubled city, is remarkable."
- Recordings:
- Giuditta: Maria Zadori, Oloferne: Drew Minter, Achior: Guy de Mey, Capella Savaria dir. Nicholas McGeganNicholas McGeganNicholas McGegan OBE is a British harpsichordist, flautist, conductor and early music expert....
. Hungaroton, HCD 12910 - Giuditta: Gloria Banditelli, Rossana Bertini, Silvia Picollo, Europa galante dir. Fabio BiondiFabio BiondiFabio Biondi is an Italian violinist and conductor.Born in Palermo, Sicily, Biondi began his international career at the age of 12 playing a concerto with the RAI Symphony Orchestra. When he was 16, he performed Bach's violin concertos at the Musikverein in Vienna...
. Opus 111, OPS 30-96. - Giuditta: Céline Ricci, Oloferne (countertenor): Martin Oro. Achior (tenor): Vincenzo Di Donato. Parlement de Musique. dir. Martin Gester. Ambronay.
- Giuditta: Maria Zadori, Oloferne: Drew Minter, Achior: Guy de Mey, Capella Savaria dir. Nicholas McGegan
Scarlatti's Cambridge Giuditta
Alessandro ScarlattiAlessandro Scarlatti
Alessandro Scarlatti was an Italian Baroque composer especially famous for his operas and chamber cantatas. He is considered the founder of the Neapolitan school of opera. He was the father of two other composers, Domenico Scarlatti and Pietro Filippo Scarlatti.-Life:Scarlatti was born in...
: La Giuditta, Rome or Naples 1697, Libretto by Prince Antonio Ottoboni
Antonio Ottoboni
Antonio Ottoboni was father of Pietro Ottoboni .Prince Antonio Ottoboni, a general of the papal army, came to Naples in 1694....
, father of the cardinal. This smaller setting for three voices, strings and basso continuo, is known today as the "Cambridge" Giuditta, since its manuscript is conserved in the Rowe Music Library of King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
.
- Recordings:
- Giuditta: Rosita Frisani, Oloferne: Mario Nuvoli, Nutrice: Marco Lazzara. Alessandro Stradella Consort, dir. Estevan Velardi. Bongiovanni 2006
- Giuditta: Sophie Landy. Oloferne: Carl Ghazarossian. Nutrice: Raphaël Pichon. Ensemble Baroque di Nice, dir. Gilbert BezzinaGilbert BezzinaGilbert Bezzina is a French violinist and conductor of baroque opera.Gilbert Bezzina studied violin at the Conservatory of Nice and continues to perform and record as a violinist....
. live 2008.
Almeida's Giuditta
Francisco António de AlmeidaFrancisco António de Almeida
Francisco António de Almeida was a Portuguese composer and organist.From 1722 to 1726 he was a royal scholar in Rome. In 1724, Pier Leone Ghezzi drew his caricature, describing him as "a young but excellent composer of concertos and church music who sang with extreme taste"...
: La Giuditta
- Recording:
- Giuditta: Gloria Banditelli. Oloferne: Antonio Abete, Giuditta Colombo, Geraldine Roux, Paolo Tognon. Concerto Köln, René Jacobs. Harmonia Mundi.
Metastasio's Giuditta
- MetastasioMetastasioPietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi, better known by his pseudonym of Metastasio, was an Italian poet and librettist, considered the most important writer of opera seria libretti.-Early life:...
's libretto, printed in some editions as Giuditta, is better known as Betulia liberataBetulia LiberataBetulia liberata is the title of a libretto by Metastasio which was originally commissioned by Emperor Charles VI and set by Georg Reutter the younger in 1734, and which was subsequently set by as many as 30 composers including Jommelli , Ignaz Holzbauer , Kozeluch , Schuster , Salieri and most...
("The Liberation of Bethulia"), K. 118, 1771. The original libretto by MetastasioMetastasioPietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi, better known by his pseudonym of Metastasio, was an Italian poet and librettist, considered the most important writer of opera seria libretti.-Early life:...
was for Georg Reutter II (1734), and also set by 30 other composers, including the 15-year old Mozart.
Other composers
- Marco da GaglianoMarco da GaglianoMarco da Gagliano was an Italian composer of the early Baroque era. He was important in the early history of opera and the development of the solo and concerted madrigal.-Life:...
La Giuditta 1626; three-act opera (lost), libretto Andrea SalvadoriAndrea SalvadoriAndrea Salvadori was an Italian poet and librettist. He was born in Florence and educated at the Collegio Romano in Rome. From 1616 until his death in Florence at the age of 43, he was the principal court poet to the Medici family...
, used as the basis for the Judith of Martin Opitz (1635).
- Maurizio CazzatiMaurizio CazzatiMaurizio Cazzati was a northern Italian composer of the seventeenth century.-Biography:Cazzati was born in Luzzara, Duchy of Mantua...
, BolognaBolognaBologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
24 March 1668. Libretto Count Astorre Orsi. - Antonio DraghiAntonio DraghiAntonio Draghi was a Baroque composer. He possibly was the brother of Giovanni Battista Draghi.Draghi was born at Rimini in Italy, and was one of the most prolific composers of his time. His contribution to the development of Italian opera was particularly significant...
, Vienna 1668 - Marc' Antonio Ziani Vienna 1686
- Antonio LottiAntonio LottiAntonio Lotti was an Italian composer of classical music.Lotti was born in Venice, although his father Matteo was Kapellmeister at Hanover at the time. In 1682, Lotti began studying with Lodovico Fuga and Giovanni Legrenzi, both of whom were employed at St Mark's Basilica, Venice's principal church...
La Giuditta a 3 voci, Vienna 1701 - Carlo Badia, Vienna 1704
- Benedetto MarcelloBenedetto MarcelloBenedetto Marcello was a Venetian composer, writer, advocate, magistrate, and teacher.-Life:...
, 1709 to his own libretto - Carlo Badia (second setting), Vienna 1710
- Giuseppe PorsileGiuseppe PorsileGiuseppe Porsile was a Neapolitan composer and singing teacher.Giuseppe was son of one Carlo Porsile, composer of an opera Nerone , As a young man Giuseppe was well received for his sacred music at the Spanish Chapel in Naples and in 1695 invited to the principal capilla real in Barcelona...
, Vienna 1723
Latin oratorios
These oratorios are generally listed under Latin names:- Vivaldi: Juditha triumphansJuditha triumphansJuditha triumphans devicta Holofernis barbarie translated as Judith triumphant over the barbarians of Holofernes, Vivaldi catalogue number RV 644, is an oratorio by Antonio Vivaldi, the only survivor of the four that he is known to have composed...