Antonio Vivaldi – Juditha Triumphans, Oratorio (2xCD, Hungaroton Classic, 1995, Stereo)

Gloria Banditelli, Maria Zádori, Judit Németh Savaria Vocal Ensemble · Capella Savaria · Conducted by Nicholas McGegan 

UPC: 5991813106322 | Label: Hungaroton Classic – HCD 31063-64

Overview

A rare and powerful recording of Antonio Vivaldi’s sacred oratorio Juditha Triumphans devicta Holofernis barbarie (RV 644), performed by Hungary’s finest early music specialists — Capella Savaria and Savaria Vocal Ensemble — under the historically informed direction of Nicholas McGegan.

Originally composed in 1716 to celebrate the Venetian victory over the Turks at Corfu, this oratorio stands as Vivaldi’s only surviving sacred dramatic work. Its rich orchestration, all-female vocal writing, and heroic themes exemplify Vivaldi’s mastery of vocal color and emotional contrast.

This 1995 Hungaroton Classic reissue (2-CD set) offers pristine digital stereo sound, detailed liner notes, and superb performances by a cast of distinguished Baroque interpreters.

? A triumph of faith, art, and courage — “Juditha Triumphans” embodies the victory of divine providence over tyranny and fear.

Product Details

• Format: 2 × Audio CD, Reissue
• Country: Hungary
• Label: Hungaroton Classic
• Catalogue Number: HCD 31063-64
• Release Year: 1995
• Genre: Classical
• Style: Baroque, Oratorio
• Audio: Digital Stereo
• Condition: Used – Very Good (also available New for $49.99)
• Language: Latin
• Libretto by: Iacopo Cassetti
• Based on: Book of Judith (Old Testament)
• Duration: Approx. 110 minutes

Performers

• Juditha – Gloria Banditelli, mezzo-soprano
• Abra (her servant) – Maria Zádori, soprano
• Holofernes (Assyrian general) – Judit Németh, mezzo-soprano
• Ozias (High Priest) – Katalin Gémes, mezzo-soprano
• Vagans (servant of Holofernes) – Annette Markert, mezzo-soprano

Ensembles:

• Savaria Vocal Ensemble – Choir

  • Chorus Master: István Deáky

• Capella Savaria – Orchestra

  • Conductor: Nicholas McGegan

Production Credits:

• Art Direction: Pál Németh
• Producer: András Székely
• Engineers: Ferenc Pécsi, Rudolf Pechan
• Design: Miklós Juhász
• Photography: Kálmán Garas
• Painting (Cover): Lucas Cranach
• Liner Notes: János Malina

About the Work

Juditha Triumphans devicta Holofernis barbarie (RV 644) is one of the jewels of Vivaldi’s sacred output and the only oratorio of his to survive complete. Written in 1716 for the Ospedale della Pietà — the Venetian institution where Vivaldi trained and directed an ensemble of exceptionally talented orphaned girls — it was composed to honor Venice’s victory over the Ottoman Turks at Corfu.

The story, drawn from the Book of Judith, recounts how the Jewish widow Judith saves her people by seducing and beheading the Assyrian general Holofernes. In Vivaldi’s allegorical retelling, Judith symbolizes Christian virtue, and Holofernes represents pagan aggression — a mirror of Venice’s triumph over foreign invasion.

Musically, the oratorio features:

• Rich orchestration with recorders, oboes, viols, and chalumeaux;
• All-female voices, representing both male and female roles;
• A series of da capo arias, duets, and choral movements filled with lyrical beauty and dramatic intensity.

“Juditha Triumphans” stands at the crossroads of sacred devotion and Baroque theatricality — a vivid reflection of Vivaldi’s genius and the spirit of 18th-century Venice.

Selected Track Highlights

• Aria Juditha: Agitata infido flatu — one of Vivaldi’s most virtuosic arias for mezzo-soprano.
• Aria Abra: Vultus tui vago splendori — tenderly expressive, symbolizing friendship and faith.
• Aria Holofernes: Noli, o cara, te adorantis — sensuous and ominous, foreshadowing Holofernes’s downfall.
• Final Chorus: Salve invicta Juditha — the triumphant close celebrating virtue’s victory over tyranny.

Historical Context

• Composed: circa 1716, Venice
• First Performed: Possibly late 1716 or early 1717 at the Ospedale della Pietà
• Purpose: Commissioned to celebrate the Republic of Venice’s victory in the Siege of Corfu (1716) against the Ottoman Empire.

• Symbolism:

  Legacy: Serves as a sacred and patriotic emblem of Baroque Venice — one of the few large-scale sacred vocal works by Vivaldi to survive in full.
  • Juditha = Venice (Christian virtue)
  • Holofernes = Turks (pagan enemy)

Track Listing (Highlights)

Disc 1:

• Aria Holofernes: Nil arma, nil bella
• Aria Juditha: Quo cum patriae me ducit
• Aria Abra: Vultus tui vago splendori
• Aria Vagans: Quamvis ferro
• Aria Juditha: Agitata infido flatu
• Aria Abra: Fulgeat sol frontis decorae

Disc 2:

• Aria Ozias: O sydera, o stellae
• Aria Holofernes: Nox obscura
• Aria Juditha: Transit aetas
• Aria Juditha: In somno profundo
• Aria Abra: Si fugida per te
• Final Chorus: Salve invicta Juditha

Collectible Information

• Highly sought-after Hungarian reissue by Hungaroton Classic.
• Nicholas McGegan is a respected early music specialist known for authentic Baroque interpretations.
• Comes with complete Latin libretto and detailed liner notes in English and Hungarian.
• Condition: Used – Very Good; discs and booklet clean; available new for $49.99.