Cain, ovvero Il primo omicidio tells the biblical story of Cain’s fratricide of Abel. It was written as a work of the Counter-Reformation in 1707, the very year in which theatrical performances were completely banned in Rome by papal decree. Its premiere took place in Venice, also in 1707.

CAIN, OR THE FIRST MURDER
by Alessandro Scarlatti (1660–1725)

Alessandro Scarlatti’s remarkable vocal output includes around 600 cantatas, approximately 120 operas, and nearly 40 oratorios. Cain, or The First Murder recounts the story of Abel’s death at the hands of his brother Cain, the first murder described in the Bible.

Tormented by guilt, Cain lives in constant inner conflict. He hears his brother’s voice from heaven while, within himself, the opposing voices of God and Lucifer struggle for possession of his soul. Suspended between light and darkness, Cain wrestles profoundly with his emotions in an attempt to understand them.

This oratorio by Alessandro Scarlatti premiered in 1707, during the golden age of the genre, particularly in Rome and Venice. The libretto of this Baroque “thriller” was written by Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni.