Vivaldi : Juditha Triumphans

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) Juditha triumphans The composer's only surviving oratorio, created in 1716 for the young female musicians of the Ospedale della Pietà in Venice, Juditha triumphans celebrates the…

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)

Juditha triumphans

The composer's only surviving oratorio, created in 1716 for the young female musicians of the Ospedale della Pietà in Venice, Juditha triumphans celebrates the victory of the Venetian Republic over the Ottoman Empire. An allegorical and political work as much as a spiritual one, it stages the biblical figure of Judith, a heroine of courage and cunning, who triumphs over the general Holofernes to save her people. In this teeming score, Vivaldi unleashes an instrumental palette of remarkable inventiveness — mandolins, theorbos, chalumeaux and viola d'amore — in the service of intense and contrasting dramaturgy. Alternating virtuosic arias, contemplative pages and large choral ensembles, the work offers a striking balance between expressiveness and musical architecture. Leading Orkester Nord, conductor Martin Wåhlberg brings to this sacred fresco all his dramatic energy and stylistic refinement, in a historically informed and vibrant reading. The cast brings together two great figures of baroque singing: Anna Bonitatibus as Juditha and Ann Hallenberg in the role of Vagaus, whose aria "Armata face et anguibus" has become a pillar of the baroque repertoire. With the sumptuous participation of the Chœur de l'Opéra Royal, this performance captures all the theatrical modernity and emotional power of this masterpiece of sacred baroque music. Between martial ardour and mystical inwardness, Juditha triumphans stands out as a total musical experience, in which the female voice triumphs with brilliance.