To be distinguished from Giuditta a German operetta by Franz Lehár.

Note La Giuditta may refer to one of several Italian oratorios, further elaborated below.

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.

Italian language oratorios

Scarlatti's Rome Giuditta

Alessandro Scarlatti: 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."[1]

Recordings:
  • Giuditta: Mária Zádori, Oloferne: Drew Minter, Achior: Guy de Mey, Capella Savaria dir. Nicholas McGegan. Hungaroton, HCD 12910
  • Giuditta: Céline Ricci, Oloferne (countertenor): Martin Oro. Achior (tenor): Vincenzo Di Donato. Parlement de Musique. dir. Martin Gester. Ambronay.[2]

Scarlatti's Cambridge Giuditta

Alessandro Scarlatti: 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.[3][4]

Recordings:
  • Giuditta: Rosita Frisani, Oloferne: Mario Nuvoli, Nutrice: Marco Lazzara. Alessandro Stradella Consort, dir. Estevan Velardi. Bongiovanni 2006
  • Giuditta: Julianne Baird, Oloferne: Philip Anderson, Nutrice: Marshall Coid. The Queen's Chamber Band, dir. Elaine Comparone. Albany 2007.
  • Giuditta: Sophie Landy, Oloferne: Carl Ghazarossian, Nutrice: Raphaël Pichon. Ensemble Baroque di Nice, dir. Gilbert Bezzina. live 2008.

Almeida's Giuditta

Francisco António de Almeida: La Giuditta

Recording:
  • Giuditta: Lena Lootens, Oloferne: Martyn Hill, Achiorre: Francesca Congiu, Ozias: Axel Köhler. Concerto Köln, René Jacobs. Harmonia Mundi.

Metastasio's Giuditta

Other composers

Latin oratorios

These oratorios are generally listed under Latin names:

References

  1. ↑ "CD: Scarlatti, La Giuditta". The Guardian. 2006-04-13. Archived from the original on 2020-07-18.
  2. ↑ Newolde
  3. ↑ Dynamic
  4. ↑ Musicweb-International
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