A masterpiece of the Roman Baroque, Giacomo Carissimi’s Historia di Jephte, composed around 1649 for the Oratory of the Santissimo Crocifisso in Rome, stands among the highest

achievements of Italian sacred music.

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Carissimi recounts the biblical story of Jephthah, who, before going into battle, makes a rash vow to God: should he return victorious, he will sacrifice the first person he encounters upon his return. Tragically, that person is his only daughter.

 

From this fatal error emerges a profoundly moving dramatic reversal: military triumph gives way to mourning, culminating in the celebrated final chorus, Plorate, whose emotional power has captivated Europe since the 17th century.