Antonio Caldara (1670-1736) was revered by his contemporaries as one of the greatest European composers. After his training, he worked in the most important cities and courts of Italy as well as in Barcelona at the court of King Charles III of Habsburg. When he was elected Emperor as Charles VI, he brought the composer to the Habsburg court in Vienna as vice-chapelmaster.

At the height of his creative powers, Caldara created the oratorio Gioseffo che interpreta i sogni (Joseph, the interpreter of dreams) for the Viennese imperial court in 1726. It takes up the Old Testament story of Joseph, who interprets dreams in prison during his Pharaonic captivity, until this even reaches the Pharaoh. He has him released from prison and finally elevates him to the rank of minister because of his gift. In addition to the biblical figures of Joseph and Pharaoh as well as the baker and the cupbearer, the librettist Giovanni Battista Neri adds the figure of the deceitful servant Zedekiah and a narrator who comments on the action in a lyrical manner.

Caldara set his text to music according to the musical taste of the emperor, who, as an accomplished connoisseur, also appreciated artful counterpoint and fugue technique. The work is also characterised by its colourful orchestration, in which instruments such as the chalumeau and psaltery are also used.

Coro Maghini (Maghini Choir) is a professional choral ensemble based in Turin, Italy who has worked closely with Italian Radio Television (RAI) Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI since 1995. This prestigious collaboration has seen many important performances, including the Mass in B minor, St Matthew and St John Passion and Magnificat (J.S. Bach). They have performed under such prestigious directors as Rafael Frühbeck De Burgos, Kirill Petrenko, Gerd Albrecht, Kristian Järvi, Gianandrea Noseda, Christopher Hogwood and Ivor Bolton.

Since 2007 the chorus has worked regularly with Academia Montis Regalis and its director Alessandro De Marchi, with whom numerous Baroque concert projects have been realised including this new recording on the Glossa label.

Cast:
- Gioseffo: Margherita Maria Sala (contralto)
- Faraone: Luigi De Donato (bass)
- Sedecia: Arianna Venitelli (soprano)
- Coppiere: Eleonora Bellocci (soprano)
- Panatiere: Lorrie Garcia (contralto)
- Testo: Mauro Borgioni (baritone)