“Juditha Triumphans”, is a production of the Greek National Opera, part of a tribute to the 2021 bicentennial of the Greek Revolution, made possible by a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. Because of the Covid-19 restrictions Juditha has not been presented to a live audience and was only staged to be recorded on cameras by Mezzo Opera channel. Thanos Papakonstantinou is the director of the baroque opera and Markellos Chryssicos the musical conductor leading the Armonia Atenea orchestra, the musical ensemble Il Pomo d’Oro, the GNO Chorus and members of the GNO Children’s Choir.  “Juditha Triumphans” will be broadcasted worldwide to  the international opera audience through Mezzo’s Opera channel.

The oratorio “Juditha Triumphans”, has been composed by Vivaldi. It was based on a Latin libretto by Iacopo Cassetti. The story: The king of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar sends his general, Holofernes, to conquer the city of Bethulia in Israel. To save her Israelite compatriots, courageous Judith decides to seduce Holofernes. When he falls asleep, she cuts his head off. The incident has been reproduced on canvas during Early Baroque by the Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi, the first woman to be recognized as a professional painter and gain membership to the Florence Academy of the Arts of Drawing. Her painting was the main reference, regarding the lighting concept.

Music conductor: Markellos Chryssicos
Music: A.Vivaldi

Director: Thanos Papakonstantinou
Set and costume designer: Niki Psychogiou
Lighting design: Christina Thanasoula – Creative Lighting 
Photo credits: A.Simopoulos