During his lifetime, Francesco Antonio Pistocchi (1659-1726) was, as an alto castrato, a renowned singer who occasionally composed roles for himself in works of his own. This must have been the case in this oratorio about the martyrdom of Saint Hadrian: the role of Hadrian is sung by an alto. As rich in effects as it is in atmosphere, this oratorio appears to have been thoroughly successful in its time. In addition to Pistocchi's home city of Parma, his work also received contemporary performances in Venice and in Germany.
In terms of content, the oratorio refers to the legend of Saint Hadrian: as a captain in the Roman army, Adriano is forced to persecute Christians. Their steadfastness converts him, however, leading him to his own martyrdom. Standing by him is his wife Natalia, who had already converted to Christianity, whilst his good friend Claudio, on behalf of the Emperor Massimiano, tries to dissuade him from his new faith. Adriano is tortured and finally dies the death of a martyr.
"Not only as regards the elegance of his melodies, but also by virtue of the richness of his harmonic progressions, Francesco Antonio Pistocchi (1659-1726) is indeed the equal of his more famous contemporary, Alessandro Scarlatti.
His oratorio is presented here, almost optimally, by Francesco Baroni in a remarkably sensitive, subtle and devoted interpretation." (FonoForum 11 / 2002)
