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".

The work is in two parts. Events in Part One are presented in three stages. After a Sinfonia follows a pastoral scene in which John bids farewell to the countryside as he prepares to travel to Herod's court. In the second stage the scene moves to the court where the king's birthday festivities are in full swing. Stage three is marked by the arrival of John who interrupts the proceedings with a command that Herod give up his brother's wife and renounce worldly pleasures and his lascivious life. Herodias and her daughter Salome are enraged and manage to convince Herod to send Giovanni to prison. Part Two contains the well-known events leading to the beheading of John. 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. Herod is in doubt as to whether he did the right thing, whereas Salome is overjoyed he killed the Baptist. In a masterly duet, Stradella expresses the contrasting emotions of foreboding and joy and underlines the depth of incomprehension which exists between them by ending the oratorio on the dominant and with a question E perche, dimmi, e perche? (And why, tell me why?).

Characters

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

Editions, premiere

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 it was revived in 1949 at the Saga Musicale Umbra with a stellar cast that included Maria Callas, and then recorded in 1960 in a radio production conduced by Carlo Felice Cillario. 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 Cillario / @1675 Stradella), sound recording (oratorio)

1970s

• San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist / 1979 Müller-Bruhl / @1675 Stradella), sound recording (oratorio)

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)

1990s

• San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist / 1991 Minkowski / @1675 Stradella), sound recording (oratorio)

2000s

• San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist / 2002 Astronio / @1675 Stradella), sound recording (oratorio)

• San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist / 2004 Aymes / @1675 Stradella), Marseille production (oratorio)

• San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist / 2007 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