Dutch National Opera
Juditha Triumphans
NEW PRODUCTION
Dates
This show was to be seen in january 2019
Location
Dutch National Opera & Ballet, Main Stage
Running time
2:50, 1 break
Tickets
Not available
Courage triumphs
Vivaldi’s Juditha Triumphans is an allegorical oratorio with a plot full of twists and turns. Though not intended for the theatre, it lends itself perfectly for staged production.
Courage triumphs
Brave deeds
The story of Juditha Triumphans comes from the apocryphal Book of Judith, chronicling the Assyrian siege of the Jewish city of Bethulia. The beautiful young widow Judith goes to the Assyrian army commander Holofernes to beg for mercy and sways him with her charms. But while he lies asleep after too much food and wine, Judith cuts off his head and returns to Bethulia triumphant. The story of her bravery inspired dramatic paintings by the likes of Giorgione, Caravaggio, Gentileschi and Allori.
International fame
Vivaldi originally composed Juditha Triumphans for the girls of the Ospedale della Pietà, an orphanage in Venice internationally renowned for its outstanding music school. Juditha features large choral passages and a richly instrumented orchestra, as befitting the occasion of its composition – to celebrate the Venetian victory over the Turks in 1716. The libretto is in Latin.
Gaëlle Arquez
French mezzo-soprano Gaëlle Arquez debuts at DNO in the role of Juditha. A ‘rising star’ of opera, she has appeared at leading houses worldwide, singing a varied repertoire of titles including Xerxes, L’incoronazione di Poppea, Teseo, Così fan tutte, Idomeneo, Armide (Gluck), Carmen, Pelléas et Mélisande, Le Comte Ory and Norma. At the Victoires de la Musique 2011 she was extolled as a ‘Révélation Lyrique’.
La Cetra Barockorchester Basel
La Cetra Barockorchester was founded in 1999 by Peter Reidemeister, then director of the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis and named after Antonio Vivaldi's Violin Concert at. 9. The orchestra specialises in early music and regularly accompanies operas at the Basel Theatre. Andrea Marcon has been chief conductor since 2009. Under his direction, the orchestra has become one of the most important early music orchestras.
Vivaldi's Juditha is a daring staging with a great orchestra. (...) There is no doubt about. Gaëlla Arquez being a convincing Juditha.
Let DNO be careful with home-grown operastudio's Polly Leech.
