San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist / 1675 Stradella / Ansaldi), oratorio

San Giovanni Battista <Italian> / St John the Baptist (1675) is an oratorio by Alessandro Stradella (mus.) and Ansaldo Ansaldi (1651–1719) (libr.).

Abstract

The most celebrated of all oratorios of the composer. "A concertino of two violins and continuo with a concerto grosso of violin, two violas and continuo" used "with variety and skill: six of the 14 arias are accompanied by continuo only and seven by the orchestra".

John the Baptist goes to the court of Herod Antipas to try to convince him to send away the wife Herodias and to renounce worldly pleasures and his lascivious life. Naturally Herodias and her daughter Salome manage to convince Herod to send Giovanni to prison. Then the libretto follows the New Testament story of the death of John the Baptist. When Herod offers to give Salome whatever she asks, in gratitude for having danced so exotically for him at the festivities for his birthday, her mother suggests that she ask for Giovanni’s head, which she does. At the end of the libretto, Herod is in doubt as to whether he did the right thing, whereas Salome is overjoyed he killed Giovanni.

Characters

• John the Baptist = contralto
• Herod Antipas = bass
• Herodias = (mezzo-)soprano
• The Daughter of Herodias (Salome) = soprano
• A chorus.

Editions, performances

Premiered in Rome, Italy: S. Giovanni dei Fiorentini, Quaresima 1675.

Performance History

San Giovanni Battista was one of the most popular among the oratorios composed by Alessandro Stradella. Over time, however, it was almost completely forgotten until in 1949 it was revived at the Saga Musicale Umbra with a stellar cast that included Maria Callas. Ever since it has been performed and recorded with some frequency in Europe and the United States.

1940s

• San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist / 1949 Santini / @1675 Stradella), Perugia production (oratorio)

1960s

• San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist / 1960 Maghini / @1675 Stradella), radio production (oratorio) Il Santo: G.Las - Erodiade: Rena Gary-Falachi - Erode: Giorgio Tadeo - Il Consigliere/Uno dei Discepoli: G. Sinimberghi - La madre di Erodiade: J. Mancini. Orchestra Sinfonica e coro di Milano della Rai - Direttore Ruggero Maghini - Registrazione del 23.05.1960

1970s

• San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist / 1979 Müller-Bruhl / @1675 Stradella), sound recording (oratorio) Helmut Müller-Bruhl, Capella Clementina. Salomè: Barbara Schlick, soprano; Erodiade La Madre: Helen Keller, soprano; San Giovanni Battista: Andrew Dalton, countertenor; Consigliero: Jan Thompson, tenor; Erode: Ulrich Studer, bass.

1980s

• San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist / 1986 Basbas / @1675 Stradella), New York production (oratorio)

• San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist / 1989 Schneider / @1675 Stradella), sound recording (oratorio) -- Michael Schneider, La Stagione. Salomè: Ann Monoyios, soprano; Erodiade La Madre: Mechthild Bach, mezzo-soprano; San Giovanni Battista: David Cordier, countertenor; Consigliero: Christoph Prégardien, tenor; Erode: Michael Schopper, bass.

1990s

• San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist / 1991 Cillario / @1675 Stradella), sound recording (oratorio) Carlo Felice Cillario, conductor -- Les Musiciens du Louvre -- Adriana Lazzerini (John the Baptist) Elena Barcis (Salome) -- Zimra Ornatt (Herodias), Giorgio Tadeo (Herod Antipas) -- Angelicum Orchestra Milan -- Coro Polifonico Turin -- - Recorded July 1991, oratorio di San Francesco Saverio del Caravita, Rome. .... di Torino; Orchestra da camera dell'Angelicum; Carlo Felice Cillario, conductor. ... La Susanna Catalog Record Only Libretto by Giovanni Battista Giardini. ... specifically Stradella and Corelli, are included within the Oratorio.

• San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist / 1992 Minkowski / @1675 Stradella), sound recording (oratorio)

2000s

• San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist / 2004 Aymes / @1675 Stradella), Marseille production (oratorio) -- [[Performance : Marseille (France) : le Gyptis - 31-03-2004 -- Contributors : mise en scène Jean-Christophe Mast ; musique Alessandro Stradella ; lumière Pascale Bongiovanni ; coproduction Compagnie Deus ex machina et Théâtre de Tarascon ; avec Pascal Bertin, CT (Jean-Baptiste), Valérie Gabail, S (Salomé), Floriant Westphal, B (Hérode)... [et al.] -- Note : Notice réd. d'après le programme de la saison et une coupure d'article de presse. Représenté dans le cadre du festival Mars en Baroque -- Casting : Interprété aussi par Naïra Ghazaryan, S (Hérodiade), la Nouvelle Académie de concert, Jean-Marc Aymes, dir.

• San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist / 2004 Astronio / @1675 Stradella), sound recording (oratorio)

• San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist / 2008 De Marchi / @1675 Stradella), sound recording (oratorio)

2010s

• San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist / 2012 Walker / @1675 Stradella), Florence production (oratorio)

• San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist / 2014 Perkins / @1675 Stradella), London production (oratorio)

• San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist / 2016 Trompeter / @1675 Stradella), Chicago production (oratorio)

• San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist / 2016 Quarta / @1675 Stradella), Rome production (oratorio)

References

• Smither, 1 (1977) 316-27.

External links

• IMSLP