Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

This reviewer is very fond of the apocryphal story of Tobit. It is a great yarn with a suitably happy ending and is also an interesting historical document telling us much about life for ordinary Jews living under a foreign power: in this case Imperial Persia. However, even though I am familiar with the plot, I struggled to follow this oratorical version as it is sung in Italian and although the libretto is printed there is no translation. Having the part of the angel Raffaelle sung by a soprano (Roberta Invernizzi) also adds to the confusion. We know that Haydn was (ahem) fond of the ladies so perhaps he was writing an extra part for one of his favourites. Frankly I soon gave up the struggle of trying to make sense of what was going on in the story and just let the music wash over me. And what music it is. 'Tobia' predates Haydn's two great oratorios, 'The Creation' and 'The Seasons' by a quarter of a century and is, to these ears, their equal. I suspect it may have been considered too operatic for some tastes and that it may be beyond the capabilities of amateur choral societies. It is a shame that this musical version of a great story is not better known and I, for one, am grateful to have made its acquaintance. Even as a triple CD the super-budget price from Naxos means that this should not be beyond the reach of any who would like to give it a try.