Scarlatti: La Colpa Il Pentimento La Grazia

Featuring

Michael Schneider
Mechthild Bach
Petra Geitner
Kai Wessel
La Stagione Frankfurt
La Stagione Vocal Ensemble

Alessandro Scarlatti
Alessandro Stradella

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Composition History

The libretto for Scarlatti's oratorio was written by Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni, an influential Roman cardinal and patron of the arts, who had also seen his text set by two other composers in previous years.

Compositional Technique

Scarlatti's score frequently uses the instruction "segue subito," indicating that he conceived the oratorio's many short sections as large, continuously flowing blocks.

Composer Biography

Alessandro Scarlatti, the composer of this oratorio, was one of the most versatile Baroque composers, with a vast output including operas, oratorios, serenades, and chamber music, despite being overshadowed by his son Domenico Scarlatti.

Compositional Technique

In the second part of the oratorio, Scarlatti creates an impressive vision of the Last Judgment, with four trumpets and a trombone joining the string orchestra and the voice of "Guilt" from different parts of the hall.

Compositional Technique

Scarlatti's oratorio features a unique musical setting of Jeremiah's Lamentations in Italian, rather than the customary Latin, with an elaborate orchestral accompaniment that uses flowing transitions and bold harmonies.

Composition History

Alessandro Scarlatti's oratorio, "La Colpa, il Pentimento, la Grazia," was premiered in Rome in 1708, just four days before Handel's "La Resurrezione," creating a silent contest between the two composers.

Compositional Technique

Scarlatti's oratorio demonstrates a sophisticated use of tonality, employing all 24 keys of the circle of fifths and assigning them to specific expressive areas, such as B-flat minor for lamentations and F-sharp minor for the cross.