Oratorios are notoriously undramatic because they only tell a story sec and do not zoom in on human emotions. Juditha Triumphans is no exception and the narrative itself has little to it. To rid her town of its assailants, Judith gets their general drunk and then chops his head off. This could make for a compelling story, were it not for the fact that none of the characters have any doubts whatsoever. Moreover, the outcome is fixed from the start; there is no development.
Antonio Vivaldi composed some 50 operas but makes his debut with The National Opera with an oratorio, Juditha Triumphans. He wrote this in 1716 to celebrate Venice's victory over the Turks. These had besieged the island of Corfu for two years, but were driven out with the help of a Habsburg army. Vivaldi and his librettist Giacomo Cassetti saw in Judith saving the Jews from the Assyrians the ideal allegory. The beautiful widow from the apocryphal Bible story represents the proud lagoon city, the Holofernes beheaded by her represents the Ottomans.
So far, so good. - But....
Admittedly, Pierre Audi did programme oratorios before, including by Handel and Henze, but with Juditha Triumphans he did make things very difficult for director Floris Visser. Visser has earned his spurs as an opera director. Among others with his phenomenal staging of Orphée et Eurydice for the Nederlandse Reisopera in 2015. But after three long hours, you wonder in despair: why didn't Audi choose one of Vivaldi's many operas? You would have wished Visser a more pleasant challenge.
#MeToo
The 35-year-old director sets the action in a busted domed church, roughly during World War II. Assyrians wearing German-looking uniforms chase a crowd of Jews dragging suitcases. - Linea recta to the concentration camp, the message seems to be. The Jewish soldiers are dressed in tattered outfits, as if they were Partisans. Women are constantly assaulted and/or raped - by men from both camps. Well, war brings out the worst in people, #MeToo is the order of the day
The revolving set alternates between Holofernes' quarters and the ruins beyond. Constantly, the protagonists move restlessly back and forth. As a director, you have to do something, after all. Too bad the chorus serves mainly as frame filler and gets little to sing. Moreover, the sparse moments when the National Opera Chorus speaks are hardly memorable. This is not so much down to the singers as to conductor Andrea Marcon.
Futile
The Italian has a reputation to lose with his La Cetra Barockorchester Basel, but unfortunately does not live up to it. His interpretation of Vivaldi's in itself sparkling score is lifeless and uninspired. Rhythmically fiery passages are uneven and the solo violinist's contributions are downright false. Fortunately, this is offset by fine solos by players of the chalumeau (an early clarinet) and mandolin in some arias. Still, the music does not really come alive.
The cast of soloists consists entirely of (mezzo)sopranos. Rightly so, as Vivaldi composed his oratorio for the ladies of the Ospedale della Pietà. Again, however, none of them really stand out. Teresa Iervolino is convincing as macho-Holofernes, but her dynamics are somewhat unbalanced.
Laughter
Gaëlle Arquez has a warm voice, but her interpretation is somewhat soulless. Thus, the audience bursts into laughter when she does not cut off Holofernes' head with one hack, but cuts it off with clumsy movements. Moreover, her voice does not carry to the last rows of the Stopera.
Unfortunately, the same is true of her antagonists. Vasilisa Berzhanskaya (Vagaus, Holofernes' adjutant) and Francesca Ascioti (high priest Ozias) even sound downright meek. Moreover, they choke on Vivaldi's raunchy colouratura. Polly Leech (Abra, Judith's servant) is the only one who attracts attention with her lively performance.
Experiments are fine, but this staging of Juditha Triumphans is a misfire. Hopefully Sophie de Lint, Audi's successor, will return to focusing on real opera. After all, there is still so much virgin territory. - Female composers, for instance; there is still a world to be won there.
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