A distinguished and versatile musician, Attilio Ariosti was born in Bologna. He joined the Servite order, but in 1696 he was in the service of the Duke of Mantua, travelling thence to Berlin at the request of the Electress Sophie Charlotte and continuing as a composer of operas and other music. Recalled by his religious superiors, he returned by way of Vienna, where he spent some years intermittently in the service of the court. Good Friday in 1705: Emperor Leopold I chose a macabre story from the Old Testament for devotion for himself and the court. An oratorio that was to underpin the unbreakable faith of virtually the entire Holy Roman Empire. Attilio Ariosti created profound, groundbreaking music for it, which shows its creator's exceedingly great sensorium for drama.