Devicta Holofernis barbarie

It may seem paradoxical, but one of the titles in which Vivaldi’s theatrical talent can be best appreciated is not intended for the stage. Juditha triumphans is in fact an oratorio (the only one by its composer that has survived), intended for a concert performance. More precisely, a “sacred military oratorio,” since it was written in 1716 to celebrate the victory of the Republic of Venice in defence of Corfu, a Venetian possession, besieged by the Turks. The biblical episode of Judith beheading Holofernes thus provides the pretext for an allegorical representation: Venice–Judith, Corfu–Bethulia, and Turks–Assyrians. An allegory which, in Vivaldi’s hands, becomes material from which recitatives, arias, and choruses in an operatic style emerge with ever-renewed freshness. The sumptuousness of the vocal lines—written entirely for female voices, partly en travesti—is unsurprising, given that the singers of the first performance were the orphans of the :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}, which provided women with an exceptional musical education, and where Vivaldi had recently been appointed “maestro de’ concerti.” Nor is the orchestral splendour surprising, since, in addition to the singers, the composer also had at his disposal equally virtuosic female instrumentalists. What is more striking, rather, is his ability to vividly depict actions and emotions that seem visible even without sets or costumes, his imaginative instrumental combinations, and the way the music fits the already highly musical Latin verses of Giacomo Cassetti, giving them full theatrical meaning. In the city that preserves almost all of Vivaldi’s manuscripts, the welcome return of Gianluca Capuano, a specialist in Baroque repertoire, takes place after his acclaimed performance last season at the :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1} in Die Entführung aus dem Serail.