Italian 17th- and 18th-Century Dramatic Works with Music, Written for the Clothing and Profession Ceremonies, with Special Reference to Compositions Based on the Book of Judith

Abstract

Late 16th- and early 17th-century Italian theatrical works (with or without music) based on the Book of Judith are perceived as associated with women, who acted as their performers (in female monasteries), dedicatees, or patrons. This paper considers the reasons for the loosening of such ties in the Baroque genres of dialogue and oratorio, which evolved in the circles of religious and lay congregations, in which women were either marginalised or altogether excluded. The link between women and the oratorio genre was thus maintained only in the case of the so-called palace oratorios. Oratorios did not gain a solid footing in the music life of female religious orders, either. Their presence mainly made itself felt in the space suspended between the monastic and secular worlds, namely, in the context of the ceremonies of clothing and profession, which were celebrated with performances of cantatas, dialogues, or oratorios. A survey of such repertoire from the 17th and 18th centuries has revealed an astonishing wealth of subjects and approaches: allegorical works, saints’ lives, Old Testament stories praising parents who offered their children up to God, happy weddings, or the deeds of extraordinary women. The Book of Judith occupies an important place among the latter subjects, which emphasised the fides and fortitudo of those entering monastic life. Existing works (such as Metastasio's Betulia) were also sometimes used. Some texts were written specially for such occasions, and they demonstrate individual qualities. Metastasio's solemn and exalted model was followed even in such small-scale pieces as the Florentine componimento sacro Giuditta of 1750. The rappresentazione La Giuditte (1621) depicts the strength of faith not only of Judith herself, but also (contrary to the Biblical account) – of the Bethulian society as an allegory of Bologna and its inhabitants. Comic elements were smuggled into the Paduan oratorio Giuditta (1735). To sum up, dramatic works with music based on the Book of Judith, written for the ceremonies of women entering the monastery, which have hitherto remained marginal to academic research, represent a promising field for further studies.

Keywords

• book of judith
• italian oratorio
• female monasteries
• clothing ceremony
• profession ceremony