Juditha Triumphans (1717) is the only oratorio by Vivaldi that has come down to us. The work is on a Biblical theme, but one from the Apocrypha, and despite the allegory, it belongs rather to the opera house than the church. Moreover, it is a story about murder and revenge that has very little of a sacred nature, so I put it at the head of my secular cantatas. It is believed that the book as we know it is the Greek translation of a
Hebrew or Aramaic original, dated around 100 BCE. The author
deliberately makes many historical errors in the introduction. Nebuchadnezzar was not a king of Assyria, but the Babylonian king who
conquered Judea in the sixth century BCE.
After listening again to Juditha Triumphans (I also have it on Hyperion
CD with the King's Consort under Robert King) I am convinced that this
is an incredibly beautiful piece of music - it is unbelievable that it
is so little known and that some people can be satisfied by repeatedly
listening to The Four Seasons instead.
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| Judith with the Head of Holophernes, by Cristofano Allori, 1613 |
Vivaldi wrote the oratorio for the youthful female virtuosi of the Ospedal della Pieta, the famous girls' orphanage in Venice where Vivaldi was Music Director and for which much of his music was composed (such as his Gloria). The orphanage allowed Vivaldi lots of experimentation, such as the use of extravagant instrumentation, including clarinets, a chalumeau, mandolin and violas "all' inglese," viola d'amore and four theorbos, in addition to the instruments of the normal baroque orchestra. The vocal writing for an all-female cast is both agile and intense, the choruses have a thrilling martial quality. This a stunningly colorful work.
The story tells how Judith, a Jewish widow, saves her people from the army of Nebuchadnezzar. The city of Betulia is besieged by the legendary Holofernes, an army
commander who was commissioned by Nebuchadnezzar II to conquer the
entire world. The huge Assyrian army moves west and seems invincible.
The Israelites closed the passes, built fortifications on all the high
mountain peaks, and erected obstacles in the plains. Then Holofernes cuts off the water supply to the city, in the hope that the inhabitants will perish of thirst and surrender.
The townspeople become parched and despair of a happy ending. The
beautiful, wealthy widow Judith and her servant Abra secretly make their way to the camp of general Holofernes pretending
to sue for peace. Holofernes falls in love with Judith, and, after
giving a feast in her honor in his tent, he falls into a drunken sleep. Judith seizes the opportunity and beheads him with his own sword.
"Then she came to the pillar of the bed, which was at Holofernes' head, and took down his fauchion (short sword) from thence, And approached to his bed, and took hold of the hair of his head, and said, Strengthen me, O Lord God of Israel, this day. And she smote twice upon his neck with all her might, and she took away his head from him. And tumbled his body down from the bed, and pulled down the canopy from the pillars; and anon after she went forth, and gave Holofernes his head to her maid; And she put it in her bag of meat..."
[Gentileschi, Judith Slaying Holofernes]
Judith and Abra manage to escape back to their town. The besiegers become confused when they see Holofernes' head displayed on the city wall, and the citizens immediately attack and drive away the leaderless and demoralized Assyrians. The story of Judith is one of the few in the Bible where the power of woman exceeds that of man.
Many artists were inspired by the dramatic story of Judith. Donatello was the first artist to cast a bronze sculpture, for the palace garden of the Medici; Michelangelo painted Judith in a corner of the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. Lucas Cranach, Botticelli, Paolo Veronese and Caravaggio also painted Judith. The gory theme was very popular around 1600, especially among Caravagists: Cristofano Allori created the work Judith with the Head of Holofernes around 1610, which depicts Judith with Holofernes' head in her left hand (see above). Caravaggio himself also painted the canvas Judith beheading Holofernes. Judith beheads Holofernes is a famous painting by the Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi (see above). More recently, Gustav Klimt painted a Judith holding the head of Holofernes; he even made two paintings about her, Judith I and Judith II.
[Klimt, Judith I]
Vivaldi was not the first to treat the theme of Judith in music. Alessandro Scarlatti wrote La Giuditta in 1693, an oratorio first performed in Naples. Vivaldi's Judita triumphans dates from 1717. The work was a commission following the victory of the Venetians in Corfu over the Turks. In 1771, as a 15-year old, Mozart compose the dramatic opera La Betulia Liberata on the same subject.
See Juditha Triumphans performed in the Dom in Brixen by the Venice Monteverdi Academy Choir (and soloists) and the Chamber Orchestra Lorenzo Da Ponte conducted by Roberto Zarpellon. Note that the text is in Latin!
Here is the rage aria "Armatae face et anquibus" by Holofernes' steward Vagaus, when he discovers the body of his master minus its head, in a wonderful performance by Cecilia Bartoli:
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