Arcangelo Spagna's "perfetto melodramma spirituale" as seen on the example of two versions of his oratorio based on the Book of Judith

Abstract

Arcangelo Spagna's Oratori overo melodrammi sacri con un discorso dogmatico intorno l'istessa materia is always considered a milestone in a history of a Baroque oratorio. Published in Rome in 1706, it consisted of the oratorios written probably many years before that date. Recently earlier versions of two works from Spagna's Oratori has been found and described by scholars: the case of Il trionfo dell'onestà negl'avvenimenti della casta Susanna (Christian Speck) and Il trionfo della fede nel martirio de' santi Eustachio e compagni (Mauro Sarnelli). My research allow me to identified the third such case: an earlier version of L'Amazone hebrea nelle glorie di Giuditta, entitled Giuditta trionfatrice d'Oloferne, published in 1701 in Florence. The two versions, although the dates of their publication are very close, differ quite substancially from each other. The dramatic shape of Giuditta trionfatrice d'Oloferne, although without Testo, has many archaic features, proving that it could have been conceived as early as in the sixties or seventies of the 17th century. The comparison of the two versions shows strategies that Spagna employed to make his oratorio more operatic (theatrical) and to preserve its spiritual atmosphere as well. The final version, however, is far from being perfect, especially from dramatic point of view.

Keywords

• Arcangelo Spagna
• baroque oratorio
• Book of Judith