Description

An absolute masterpiece of Roman Baroque, Giacomo Carissimi's Historia di Jephte was composed around 1649.<div> An absolute masterpiece of Roman Baroque, Giacomo Carissimi's Historia di Jephte was composed around 1649 for the Oratory of Santissimo Crocifisso in Rome, before becoming one of the great pinnacles of Italian musical literature.</div><div> Carissimi recounts the story of Jephthah who, before the battle, makes a foolish vow to God to sacrifice the first person who comes to meet him if he is victorious. This person is his only daughter. From this transgression arises a profoundly moving dramatic reversal: the triumphant wartime victory transforms into a mournful lament, culminating in the famous final chorus, "Plorate," a pinnacle of emotion that, from the 17th century onward, has inspired admiration throughout Europe.</div><div> It is from this act of excess that the second part of the program arises: The Last Judgment. Composed by Carissimi to an anonymous text, the work blends extracts from the Old and New Testaments into a veritable theatrical fresco. This work is probably the most impressive musical counterpart to the Last Judgment, painted by Michelangelo a century earlier in Rome, the city where Carissimi spent his entire life.</div><div><br></div><div> Under the direction of Vincent Dumestre, the musicians and soloists of Le Poème Harmonique restore these masterpieces to their full panache and historical truth. Accustomed to exploring the hidden treasures of the Italian Seicento, they make the acoustics of the Chapelle Royale resonate for an evening marked by emotion and fervor.</div>