Oratorios like Maddalena ai piedi di Cristo were sung in Italian (oratorio volgare) and often replaced secular opera during periods when theaters were closed.
Recording & Production
This recording was made in concert on October 2-3, 2017, at the Opéra de Rennes, and in the studio on October 4, 2017.
Composition History
The libretto for Maddalena ai piedi di Cristo was written by Lodovico Forni for Modena about ten years before Caldara's work.
Compositional Technique
The oratorio Maddalena ai piedi di Cristo features six protagonists, divided between Earth and Heaven: Martha, Mary Magdalene, a Pharisee, Jesus, Earthly Love, and Divine Love.
Composition History
Caldara's oratorio, Maddalena ai piedi di Cristo, dates from 1697 or 1698 and is the third of his approximately forty oratorios.
Compositional Technique
Caldara, an accomplished cellist, uses the instrument's dark voice in the solo of 'Pompe inutili' to evoke a meditation on vanity.
Composer Biography
Antonio Caldara, born in Venice around 1670, composed approximately three thousand works during his career.
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