Jephtha

oratorio by Carissimi

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June 29, 2026

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Jephtha is an oratorio by Giacomo Carissimi, a prominent 17th-century Italian composer. The oratorio, lasting about 20 minutes, tells a story from the Book of Judges about Jephthah, an Israelite judge who vowed to sacrifice his daughter in exchange for victory in battle. Carissimi's Jephtha is considered a classic and was influential for later composers like George Frideric Handel. In the oratorio, both a solo narrator and the chorus comment on the action, with the chorus also taking on the roles of opposing groups within the narrative.12

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Giacomo Carissimi
…well displayed in his oratorio Jephtha, lasting about 20 minutes, where both solo narrator and chorus act as commentators and the latter also take the roles of opposing groups in the story. George Frideric Handel expanded this basic scheme in his oratorios. Carissimi greatly influenced later music not only through…
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…well displayed in his oratorio Jephtha, lasting about 20 minutes, where both solo narrator and chorus act as commentators and the latter also take the roles of opposing groups in the story. George Frideric Handel expanded this basic scheme in his oratorios. Carissimi greatly influenced later music not only through…
Read More