Carissimi: Jephte / Jonas
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Giacomo Carissimi (1605-1674) Jephte Jonas Dai pił riposti abissi Dedicated to the City of Marino (Rome) on the occasion of the 400th Anniversary of the...
Giacomo Carissimi (1605-1674)
Jephte Jonas Dai pił riposti abissi
Dedicated to the City of Marino (Rome) on the occasion
of the 400th Anniversary of the Birth of Giacomo
Carissimi (1605-2005).
Giacomo Carissimi began his professional career as
cantor, organist and then maestro di cappella in
institutions near Rome such as the Cathedral of Tivoli
or the Church of S. Ruffino in Assisi. Towards the end
of 1629 his career took an important leap as he took on
the task in the heart of Rome as maestro di cappella at
the Jesuit Collegio Germanico Ungarico with
responsibility for the music of the church of
Sant'Apollinare, which belonged to the German
Seminary. He held this position until his death in 1674.
From this highly prestigious position Carissimi won
early fame throughout Europe, becoming one of the
leading figures in the music of the seventeenth century.
The obligations of maestro di cappella at the
College were divided between composition and the
direction of all musical activities of the Seminary, and
teaching. Many musicians of the time came to study
with him directly, including the Frenchman
Marc'Antoine Charpentier and the Germans Christoph
Bernhard and Johann Kaspar Kerll, or indirectly,
through the music itself, and learnt this new style of
composition. It is owing to Carissimi that much of this
traditional Italian style of composition was maintained
throughout continental Europe for the entire
seventeenth century.
Carissimi's activity was not limited to the College
only, but also included important appointments outside
the Church, such as service as maestro della musica da
camera for Queen Christina of Swede. He also
collaborated with the Roman Oratories, particularly
with San Marcello, the Oratorio del Santissimo
Crocifisso, for which it is quite probable that many of
his oratorios were composed.
There is little direct information concerning
performances at the College or at the Santissimo
Crocifisso, but written testimony survives that gives
some idea and makes it clear that both institutions had
ample means for musical performance. Francis
Mortopf, a traveller passing through Rome some time in
the 1650s, is recorded as describing the music
performed at Santissimo Crocifisso (H.E. Smither: The
Oratorio in the Baroque Era): '... a music so sweet and
harmonious which, once having left Rome, can never be
hoped to be heard again on the face of the Earth. It was
composed with at least twenty voices, organs, lute, viola
and two violins, all of which were playing music so
melodious and delicious that Cicero with all his
eloquence would never have been able to describe it'.
Jephte is perhaps the best known composition of
Carissimi today. Together with Jonas, it is also one of
the few for which chronological references can be
established, some time before 1649. The text is a free
treatment of the Old Testament narrative (Judges 11:
28-38), and is much fuller than the original biblical text.
The narration is entrusted to the Historicus, sung in
various places by different voices. In addition to the
paraphrasing of passages from the Vulgate, completely
new texts provide dramatic moments.
The oratorio can be divided into two major sections.
The first of these describes Jephthah's victory over the
Ammonites, and the other deals with the drama of the
sacrifice of his child, to which Jephthah has sworn. In
the first part the chorus interventions are among the
numerous dramatic amplifications of the biblical
narrative. Other details such as the introduction of the
word ululantes in the description of the conquered
Ammonites, which is absent in the biblical passage,
allow the composer to make use of the dramatic topos of
the lament. Of still greater effect is the separation
between the celebration of Jephthah's victory and the
introduction by the narrator of the idea of Jephthah's
oath. The final part with the lament by Jephthah's
daughter and the repeated chorus, is extremely
effective.
Jonas is probably more or less contemporary with
Jephte Here there is an analogous situation as far as
concerns the biblical source and the oratorio text. The
Vulgate is largely followed in the narrative, without
paraphrase, but again there are dramatic interpolations.
This oratorio too can be divided into sections. The first
follows the biblical adventures of Jonah (Jonah 1: 1-4)
and the first interpolation is heard in the chorus Et
proeliabantur venti (and the winds battled), which uses
the technique of two separate choirs, effectively
reflecting the storm which threatens the ship where
Jonah is sleeping. The biblical text, however, only
briefly mentions this episode. The second section is
dedicated to the dialogue between Jonah and the sailors.
Close to the original text, this is also expressed in
dialogue. The sailors' interventions are varied, first a
duet, then a chorus, and then alternation of solo voices
from the choir. The third episode is made up entirely of
Jonah's prayer to God from the belly of the whale
(Jonah 2). The refrain Placare, Domine, ignosce,
Domine, et miserere (Forgive, Lord, and have mercy),
strengthened with the presence of instrumental
ritornelli, divides the long recitativo into three different
but equal sections. The conclusion condenses in just a
few lines the whole of the third biblical chapter. The
final chorus is in fact a mea culpa of the Ninevites,
which again is a free invention of the librettist.
The catalogue of Carissimi's vast output is not
made up only of sacred music and oratorios, but
includes secular cantatas for various groups of
performers. Consortium Carissimi presents a
transcription of the serenade Dai (trai) pił riposti abissi
(From the most hidden abysses), originally set for two
sopranos, bass and basso continuo. Here it is offered
with two tenor voices instead, making use of a common
practice of the time, replacing the higher register voices
with tenors. The text is by Francesco Balducci (1579-
1642) 'a greatly ingenious man, but haughty and too
vague for adventure... easily lost for love and poetry,
little lover of fatigue [who] attempted to live off Princes
and Cardinals (Guido Pasquetti)'. Balducci is normally
allowed an important position in the codification of the
musical genre of oratorio. He was also a poet, and
frequented high Roman ecclesiastical and aristocratic
circles. Balducci was particularly associated with the
Barberinis. The serenade, therefore, in its choice of text
and its connotations of Roman high society, represents a
fine example of Carissimi's extramural activity. From a
musical point of view, this piece demonstrates a
structure quite typical of its genre in the early baroque
period. Distinct musical sections correspond to the
verses of the text, which make use of different
techniques and styles, alternating between recitative,
aria, ternary episodes and solo sections, dialogue, tutti
sections and instrumental ritornelli. All of these aspects
delightfully underscore the details of the text itself,
admirably communicated in a dense language which at
the same time reveals absolute technical and expressive
transparency.
Angela Romagnoli
Translation by Garrick Comeaux
Jephte (more info)
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I. Historicus - 0:37
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II. Jephte - 0:27
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III. Coro a 6 - 0:27
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IV. Historicus a 2 - 0:20
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V. Basso solo - 0:42
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VI. Coro a 6 - 0:33
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VII. Historicus - 0:13
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VIII. Historicus a 3 - 0:41
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IX. Historicus - 0:28
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X. Filia - 1:09
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XI. Coro a 2 - 0:44
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XII. Filia - 1:09
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XIII. Coro a 6 - 1:11
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XIV. Historicus - 0:31
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XV. Jephte - 3:56
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XVI. Historicus a 4 - 0:40
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XVII. Filia - 4:43
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XVIII. Coro a 6 - 3:38
Dai piu riposti abissi (From the Most Hidden Abysses) (more info)
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Dai piu riposti abissi (From the Most Hidden Abysses) - 12:09
Jonas (Jonah) (more info)
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I. Symphonia - 0:27
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II. Historicus - 0:39
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III. Deus - 0:32
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IV. Historicus - 0:31
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V. Historicus - 0:18
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VI. Historicus a 8 - 2:57
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VII. Nautae a 3 - 1:19
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VIII. Historicus - 0:44
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IX. Gubernator Navis - 0:25
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X. Nautae a 2 - 0:29
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XI. Historicus - 0:21
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XII. Nautae a 3 - 0:19
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XIII. Ionas - 0:24
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XIV. Nautae a 3 - 0:20
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XV. Ionas - 0:39
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XVI. Historicus a 8 - 0:34
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XVII. Historicus - 0:21
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XVIII. Ionas - 4:59
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XIX. Historicus a 3 - 0:22
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XX. Historicus - 0:25
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XXI. Ninevitae a 8 - 2:25