Maddalena - Maria Cristina Kiehr (soprano)
Marta - Rosa Dominguez (soprano)
Earthly Love - Bernarda Fink (mezzo)
Celestial Love - Andreas Scholl (counter-tenor)
Pharisee - Ulrich Messthaler (bass)
Christ - Gerd Türk (tenor)

Orchestra of the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis
René Jacobs (conductor)
Chiara Banchini (concertmaster)

Sound Samples

Disc reviews "Gramophone Classical Music Guide"
Caldara was the most prolific and famous oratorio composer of his day and this one, written around 1700, is wonderfully rich in fresh and attractive invention.
Practically devoid of external action, it's dramatically tense and concentrates on the struggle between the forces of good and evil, the sinner Magdalen being urged towards penitence by her sister Martha; the roles of Christ and a Pharisee are considerably smaller.
The work opens arrestingly, with an agitated sinfonia followed by the hypnotic aria 'Dormi, o cara': then come another 27 brief da capo arias with their associated recitatives – ensembles scarcely exist. But there's no lack of variety: some arias, flanked by an orchestral ritornello, are accompanied only by a continuo instrument; others are furnished with different usages of the five-part strings.
René Jacobs furthers the dramatic impact by his pacing; and his casting is flawless. He has the highly effective idea of differentiating the parts of Earthly and Celestial Love by allocating the former to a mezzo and the latter to a countertenor.
Both are excellent, but so are all the participants.
It seems invidious to single out highlights but outstanding are the aria 'Diletti' for Magdalen (Kiehr) and the succeeding ornate 'Vattene' for Martha (Dominguez) and, even more, two florid arias from Scholl rejoicing in the eventual triumph of good, and two passionately delivered by Fink, of fury by evil at its overthrow.
You're urged to acquire this disc.

SPOILER (BACK,CD)