Jephte
Oratorio in Latin
Jephte (tenor)
Jephte's daughter (soprano)
Historicus (alto)
Four unnamed soloists (two sopranos, alto, bass)
Chorus (SSSATB)
Continuo (organ)
String instruments ad libitum
Program Notes by Martin Pearlman
From the very beginning, Carissimi's oratorio Jephte has been recognized as one of the finest works of its time and one of the greatest oratorios in the repertoire. Carissimi's music, and Jephte in particular, were widely known in his day, with manuscripts circulating in various European countries. When his contemporary, the Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher, published his encyclopedic work on music, he reproduced the final chorus of Jephte as an illustration of the power of music to move the soul and portray human emotions, expressing regret at not having the space to print the entire oratorio. Nearly a hundred years later, Handel paid homage by quoting the final chorus of Jephte in his own oratorio Samson.
Among the many foreign and Italian students who came to study with Carissimi was the French composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier, whose own works show the clear influence of teacher. Charpentier's personal copy of Jephte is in fact the best source for the work today, since Carissimi's autograph has been lost.
Giacomo Carissimi was described by a contemporary as "tall and thin and prone to melancholy" and was said to be "very gracious in his relations with friends and others." Born in 1605, he was appointed to the prestigious post of maestro di cappella at the Jesuit Collegio Germanico in Rome at the age of 24, and he held that post until his death in 1674. Among the attractive job offers which he declined during his tenure in Rome was one to become Monteverdi's successor at St. Mark's in Venice. Although he is widely considered the first great oratorio composer, he is perhaps equally famous for his large output of cantatas.
The story of Jephte is based on the biblical story in Judges. Jephthah promises the Lord that, if he defeats the enemy Ammonites in battle, he will sacrifice the first living creature that he sees when he returns home. But on his victorious return, he first sees not the animals of his flocks but his daughter, his only child, who has run out on the road to meet him. The oratorio focuses principally on this human drama that follows the battle and on the emotional shift from the daughter's initial victory dance to the final lament over her fate.
Musically, the story is told in solo recitatives and ariosos that contrast with six-voice choruses. Most famous in this work and, in many ways, most characteristic of Carissimi are the poignant dissonances in the final chorus of lamentation. However, some of the solo sections, including the final lament of the daughter, are equally expressive.
The primary sources for Jephte are scored only for voices and continuo, although some performances add a small number of instruments to double the choral parts in places. Such doubling is not unusual for the period and is, in fact, found in a few of the early manuscript copies of Jephte, as well as in a number of other works of the time. The manuscripts lack an instrumental introduction, although it would not have been uncommon to have one. In its performances, Boston Baroque used the brief introduction from Carissimi's oratorio Baltazar.
Boston Baroque Performances
Jephte
March 8 & 9, 2013
NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston, MA
Martin Pearlman, conductor
Soloists:
Owen McIntosh, tenor
Teresa Wakim, soprano
Kamala Soparkar, mezzo-soprano
February 28 & March 2, 2002
NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston, MA
Martin Pearlman, conductor
Soloists:
Sharon Baker, soprano
William Hite, tenor
Melina Pineda, mezzo-soprano
Aaron Engebreth, baritone
February 15, 1985
NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston, MA
Martin Pearlman, conductor
Soloists:
Sharon Baker, soprano
Martin Kelly, tenor
Lorraine DiSimone, mezzo-soprano
Sergio Pelacani, countertenor