Judith (oratorio)
It is also speculated that when writing Thomas and Sally, Bickerstaff submitted the written play to Covent Garden Theatre without consulting Arne.
She goes with her loyal maid, Abra, to the Assyrian camp and promises the enemy general, Holofernes, information on the Israelites.
Scene one takes place in a public part of the city of Bethulia with the opening chorus, Father of mercies lend thine ear.
Ozias responds with his air, Be humble, suff'ring, trust in God, telling the people to be patient and wait for five more days before letting the Assyrians seize the city.
Abra is lamenting over the fate of the city, convinced that God will not save Bethulia within the allotted five days.
to melting measures, and Judith returns speaking of this enormous feat God has seemingly entrusted upon her, singing Advent'rous, lo!
Judith tells Holofernes that she had fled Bethulia with Abra because the citizens, "by crimes most odius," had invoked the wrath of the heavens upon themselves.
"[3] Scene three consists of Judith and Abra praying to God for strength to finally free Bethulia from Holofernes' grasp in the duet, O thou on whom the weak depend.
Judith shows Holofernes' severed head to the citizens, and tells them to take up arms and charge into battle against the Assyrians.
She explains further, after they find their general dead in his bed chamber, the Assyrians will be overcome with fear and flee their camp.
[4] Scene five Judith shames the people of Israel for acting like heathens by giving the glory of God's works to man.
Celestial Choirs, so they dropped it completely)[1] [5] In some performances, the parts of Ozias and Holofernes were sung an octave higher by the castrato, Giusto Fernando Tenducci.
The texture of the accompaniment is simple, but is underneath a beautiful lyrical melody, typical of the galant style of the classical era.
[6] Many of the airs in Judith are characterized by the balanced phrases of the early Classical style with fluid basso continuo, accompaniment of the orchestra, baroque dances, and quick harmonic rhythm.
The musical setting acts as a reflection of this optimism, with an orchestral doubling of the dance like vocal line and the oboe playing a countermelody of parallel thirds and sixths.
[6] In Act II Number 16, "Oh thou, on whom the weak depend," Judith in Abra pray for strength after Holofernes has invited them to dinner.
[6] On the word "attend," the two voices sing rather melismatic sections completely in parallel thirds, Abra's part being the lower of the two.
This piece is one of the few in the oratorio with contrapuntally conceived string writing, as the violins and viola continue chains of suspension over a basso continuo that moves by eighth-notes.
This contrast between the strings and basso continuo is thought to symbolize sleep descending over Holofernes' mind.
It was replaced with a musical choral setting of Judith's final speech Here sons of Jacob let us rest.
[1] Judith was first performed at Drury Lane at Lent in 1761, again at Drury Lane in 1762, at Chapel of the Lock Hospital in Grosvenor Place for the benefit of a public charity in 1764, at Kings Theatre in the Haymarket in 1765, Three Choirs Festival in Gloucester in 1766, and at Covent Garden multiple times for charity.
[5] During a 1767 benefit concert at Covent Garden, a song from Judith was accompanied with the first ever public appearance of the pianoforte in England.
Sleep descend" (by Judith) were recorded by Ana Maria Labin and The Mozartists, under Ian Page for the 2015 album Mozart in London on Signum Classics.
