Baroque Masterpiece Premieres

Italian baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi composed no less than four oratorios, of which only 'Juditha triumphans' (1716) has survived. The work is based on the Book of Judith from the Old Testament, and features a Latin libretto by Giacomo Cassetti. Cassetti’s libretto deals with the siege of the city Bethulia by the Assyrian army, led by general Holofernes. To implore Holofernes' mercy, the Jewish widow Judith goes to the camp of the general. He offers her a rich banquet after which he falls asleep. Judith seizes the opportunity and beheads him. Since the work was originally written for an all-girl orphanage in Venice, the Ospedale della Pietà, all solo roles are for female voices. The work features a rich instrumentation that includes the viola d'amore, mandolin, chalumeau, and theorbo. Under the baton of Alessandro De Marchi, orchestra and chorus of Teatro la Fenice are joined by soloists Manuela Custer, Giulia Semenzato, Teresa Iervolino, Paola Gardina, and Francesca Ascioti. This performance was recorded at Teatro la Fenice in Venice, Italy, in June 2015.

Rinaldo (1711) is an opera by German-born composer George Frideric Handel, set during the First Crusade. With Rinaldo, Handel plunges us into a chivalrous, romantic world. With birds, dragons, lightning, and thunderbolts, this spectacular work demonstrates the dramatic mastery of the composer on a dreamlike and powerful score. Giacomo Rossi's libretto deals with Goffredo's Crusader army laying siege to Jerusalem, which king Argante defends. One of the Crusaders, knight Rinaldo, is promised to marry Goffredo’s daughter Almirena if the Christians are victorious. Handel composed Rinaldo in just fourteen days, borrowing musical material from his earlier compositions. Rinaldo features “Lascia ch’io pianga,” one of Handel’s best-known arias, in which Rinaldo’s abducted lover Almirena bemoans her tragic fate. The score is performed by the ensemble Le Caravansérail, under Bertrand Cuiller. Among the soloists are Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian (countertenor), Lucile Richardot (mezzo soprano), Emmanuelle de Negri (soprano), Aurore Bucher (soprano), and Thomas Dolié (baritone). This performance was recorded at Le Bateau Feu in Dunkirk, France.