Martin Gester - Alessandro Scarlatti: La Giuditta (2005)

The biblical story of the princess Judith, who seduces and then beheads the invading Assyrian general Holofernes, has attracted composers from the early days of opera almost down to the present day with its mixture of gore, patriotic self-sacrifice, and latent feminist themes. (Go here to get in the mood: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Judith_Beheading_Holofernes_by_Caravaggio.jpg.) This 1693 setting of the story by Alessandro Scarlatti was designated an oratorio, with the result that it became even less familiar to general audiences than the operas of the late seventeenth century. But on disc it is really an opera in all but name. There is no chorus commenting somberly on the action, just five characters enmeshed in a tense, sexy, and rapidly developing story that's told mostly in arias, not lengthy stretches of recitative that set up the action. Scarlatti's arias lie between the freely structured music of the classic Italian oratorio and the formally fixed, ornate da capo form that flourished through much of the eighteenth century; they are beautifully balanced between technique and the emotions of the characters, inspiring English music writer Edward Dent to call Scarlatti Mozart's spiritual ancestor. For examples in the present work, sample track 6, "Mà sò ben qual chiudo in petto di Vittoria alto disegno" (I feel in my heart that a great victory is due), in which Judith decides on her plan, or skip directly to the smoldering climactic scene (tracks 16 and 17). Le Parlement de Musique, a historical instrument ensemble from Strasbourg, and its conductor Martin Gester basically stay out of the music's way with smooth performances that give the emotional elements their due without overemphasizing them. Countertenor Martín Oro excels in the role of Holofernes, and the recording in an Alsatian abbey evokes the spaces of the Roman palace where the work was first performed for a group of nobles. This more than a well-executed recording aimed at Baroque enthusiasts; La Giuditta is a taut drama that any lover of opera should hear.