Philippe Jaroussky particularly enjoys the Italian oratorio genre, believing that many composers of the period gave their best when setting sacred Old Testament stories to music.
Performer Biography
Philippe Jaroussky, the countertenor on this album, has been making recordings for over 20 years.
Recording & Production
This album features seven world-premiere recordings and one premiere studio recording of these works.
Composition History
Pietro Torri, a prolific composer from Parma, wrote the oratorio "La vanità del mondo" which was performed in Brussels in 1706 to honor Elector Maximilian Emanuel of Bavaria.
Recording & Production
This album was nearly not recorded due to the 2020 lockdown, but its completion in June was a "liberation" for Philippe Jaroussky and his musicians.
Compositional Technique
Handel's famous aria "Lascia la spina" from his oratorio "Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno" uses a dual spondaic and bacchian rhythm throughout, giving it a haunting character.
Historical Context
The Catholic Reformation, while ambiguous about theatre, actively promoted the oratorio as a new musical genre to serve its cause and propaganda.
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