Antonio Vivaldi: «Juditha triumphans» RV 644 (Oratorio in two parts)
Libretto by Giacomo Cassetti
First performance: Venice, Chiesa Santa Maria della Pietà, 1716
Edition: Edited by Günter Graulich (Carus-Verlag, Leinfelden-Echterdingen)
Performance in Latin with German/English surtitles

«Juditha Triumphans Devicta Holofernis Barbarie,» or «Judith Triumphing Over the Barbarism of Holofernes,» is the impressive title of the only surviving oratorio that can be attributed to Antonio Lucio Vivaldi, our Genius Loci of this year. Giacomo Cassetti's excellent libretto was not only timely but also imbued with patriotic tones at the time of its premiere, allegedly held in November 1716 in the presence of distinguished guests at the Chiesa Santa Maria della Pietà. The famous story of the widow Judith, who becomes the savior of the city of Bethulia under Assyrian siege, is turned into an allegory of the «Venetian-Austrian Turkish War» that began in 1714. In 1716, this war took a decisive turn at Peterwardein on the Danube, as well as in the naval battle at Corfu and the subsequent siege of the island of the same name, held by Venice. Inspired by these events, Vivaldi, as the newly appointed Maestro de' Concerti and musical director of the all-female orchestra of the Ospedale della Pietà, composed a particularly rich score in terms of instruments and timbres to celebrate them.

From a dramaturgical point of view, the «Triumphant Judith» is also of particular interest because of the ambiguity of its two main characters. The heroine Judith possesses certain qualities of a villain, while Holofernes, the true villain, transforms from a warrior to a deceived lover.

Sophie Rennert performs the role of the villainous heroine, supported by Anastasia Boldyreva as Holofernes, Arianna Vendittelli as his squire Vagaus, Emilie Renard as Judith's maid Abra, and Lorrie Garcia as Ozias. They are accompanied by  the Innsbrucker Festwochenorchester that is luxuriously equipped for baroque conditions with timpani and trumpets, recorders, oboes, clarinets, and bassoons, mandolins and shawms, a viol consort, the usual string section, harpsichord, claviorganum, lute, and theorbo.

For Alessandro De Marchi, the «Juditha Triumphans» completes another circle of opera-worthy material. His complete recording from 2000 was one of the first recordings of the newly founded Vivaldi Edition, which has made an outstanding contribution to the work and reputation of a single composer like no other series in the history of recorded music.