Handel: Theodora, HWV 68

Handel: Theodora, HWV 68

Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, John Chest, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa, Joyce DiDonato, Michael Spyres

2022

Handel’s oratorio Theodora is an opera in all but name, and this riveting performance led by Russian conductor Maxim Emelyanychev confirms it as one of the composer’s greatest achievements. The American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato is the star name among the soloists, poised and sonorous in her Part I aria “As With Rosy Steps the Morn”. Soprano Lisette Oropesa and countertenor Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian also excel as the Christian martyrs Theodora and Didymus, rising movingly to the challenge of the opera’s heart-wrenching final scene. The wonderfully eloquent choral singing adds further cachet to a set which lovers of Handel’s music should on no account miss hearing.

Overture

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

2:58

Trio

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

1:45

Courante

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

1:36

Recitative. "Tis Diocletian’s Natal Day" (Valens)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, John Chest

0:30

Air. "Go, My Faithful Soldier, Go" (Valens)

John Chest, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

1:52

Chorus. "And Draw a Blessing Down" (The Heathens)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

2:03

Recitative. "Vouchsafe, Dread Sir" (Didymus, Valens)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, John Chest, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian

1:02

Air. "Racks, Gibbets, Sword and Fire" (Valens)

Il Pomo d'Oro, John Chest, Maxim Emelyanychev

3:15

Chorus. "For Ever Thus Stands Fix’d the Doom" (The Heathens)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

1:40

Recitative. "Most Cruel Edict" (Didymus, Septimius)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Michael Spyres

0:35

Air. "The Raptur’d Soul" (Didymus)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Il Pomo d'Oro

8:12

Recitative. "I Know Thy Virtues" (Septimius)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Michael Spyres, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:42

Air. "Descend, Kind Pity, Heav’nly Guest" (Septimius)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Michael Spyres

8:11

Recitative. "Though Hard, My Friends" (Theodora)

Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:27

Air. "Fond, Flatt’ring World, Adieu" (Theodora)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa

4:00

Recitative. "O Bright Example of All Goodness" (Irene)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:38

Air. "Bane of Virtue" (Irene)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato

5:51

Chorus. "Come, Mighty Father" (The Christians)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

2:29

Recitative. "Fly, Fly, My Brethren" (Messenger, Irene)

Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

1:08

Air. "As with Rosy Steps the Morn" (Irene)

Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

7:18

Chorus. "All Pow’r in Heav’n Above" (The Christians)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

2:17

Recitative. "Mistaken Wretches!" (Septimius)

Michael Spyres, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:20

Air. "Dread the Fruits of Christian Folly" (Septimius)

Michael Spyres, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

2:41

Recitative. "Deluded Mortal!" (Theodora, Septimius)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Michael Spyres, Lisette Oropesa

1:02

Accompagnato. "Oh, Worse Than Death Indeed" (Theodora)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa

0:23

Air. "Angels, Ever Bright and Fair" (Theodora)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa

3:39

Recitative. "Unhappy, Happy Crew!" (Didymus, Irene)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian

1:13

Air. "Kind Heav’n, If Virtue Be Thy Care" (Didymus)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian

5:21

Recitative. "O Love, How Great Thy Pow’r!" (Irene)

Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:34

Chorus. "Go, Gen’rous, Pious Youth" (Chorus)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

4:41

Recitative. "Ye Men of Antioch" (Valens)

John Chest, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:33

Chorus. "Queen of Summer, Queen of Love" (The Heathens)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:42

Air. "Wide Spread His Name" (Valens)

John Chest, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

2:11

Recitative. "Return, Septimius, to the Stubborn Maid" (Valens)

Maxim Emelyanychev, John Chest, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:40

Chorus. "Venus, Laughing from the Skies" (The Heathens)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

1:19

Symphony

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:54

Recitative. "O Thou Bright Sun" (Theodora)

Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:35

Air. "With Darkness Deep, as is My Woe" (Theodora)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro

3:07

Air

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

1:03

Recitative. "But Why Art Thou Disquieted, My Soul" (Theodora)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:30

Air. "Oh That I on Wings Could Rise" (Theodora)

Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

3:23

Recitative. "Long Have I Known" (Didymus, Septimius)

Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Maxim Emelyanychev, Michael Spyres, Il Pomo d'Oro

1:20

Air. "Though the Honours" (Septimius)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Michael Spyres

3:12

Recitative. "Oh, Save Her Then" (Didymus, Septimius)

Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Michael Spyres

0:38

Air. "Deeds of Kindness to Display" (Didymus)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian

7:01

Recitative. "The Clouds Begin to Veil" (Irene)

Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:40

Air. "Defend Her, Heav’n!" (Irene)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro

5:46

Recitative. "Or Lull’d With Grief" (Didymus)

Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:38

Air. "Sweet Rose and Lily" (Didymus)

Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

2:17

Recitative. "Oh, Save Me, Heav’n" (Theodora, Didymus)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian

1:33

Air. "The Pilgrim’s Home" (Theodora)

Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

2:58

Accompagnato. "Forbid It, Heav’n!" (Didymus)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:37

Recitative. "Or Say, What Right Have I to Take" (Didymus, Theodora)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Il Pomo d'Oro

1:58

Duet. "To Thee, Thou Glorious Son of Worth" (Theodora, Didymus)

Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa

4:26

Recitative. "’Tis Night" (Irene)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:47

Chorus. "He Saw the Lovely Youth" (The Heathens)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

3:42

Air. "Lord, to Thee Each Night and Day" (Irene)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato

7:04

Recitative. "But See, the Good, the Virtuous Didymus" (Irene, Theodora)

Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:38

Air. "When Sunk in Anguish and Despair" (Theodora)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev

3:36

Theodora and Chorus. "Blest Be the Hand, and Blest the Pow’r" (Theodora, Chorus)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro

3:39

Recitative. "Undaunted in the Court" (Messenger, Irene)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:50

Accompagnato. "O My Irene" (Theodora)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:29

Recitative. "Stay Me Not, Dear Friend" (Theodora)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:14

Duet. "Whither, Princess, Do You Fly" (Irene, Theodora)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa, Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro

1:12

Recitative. "She’s Gone" (Irene)

Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:38

Air. "New Scenes of Joy Come Crowding on" (Irene)

Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

4:17

Recitative. "Is It a Christian Virtue" (Valens, Didymus, Theodora, Septimius)

Michael Spyres, John Chest, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian

1:12

Recitative. "Be That My Doom" (Theodora, Septimius)

Michael Spyres, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev

1:02

Air. "From Virtue Springs Each Gen’rous Deed" (Septimius)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Michael Spyres, Maxim Emelyanychev

5:45

Air. "Cease, Ye Slaves, Your Fruitless Pray’r" (Valens)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, John Chest

1:02

Recitative. "’Tis Kind, My Friends" (Didymus, Theodora)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian

1:01

Chorus. "How Strange Their Ends, Yet How Glorious" (The Heathens)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

2:50

Recitative. "On Me Your Frowns" (Didymus, Theodora, Valens)

Maxim Emelyanychev, John Chest, Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian

0:37

Air. "Ye Ministers of Justice" (Valens)

John Chest, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

1:26

Recitative. "And Must Such Beauty Suffer?" (Didymus, Theodora, Septimius)

Lisette Oropesa, Michael Spyres, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian

0:54

Air and Duet. "Streams of Pleasure Ever Flowing" (Didymus, Theodora)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Il Pomo d'Oro

5:37

Recitative. "Ere This, Their Doom is Past" (Irene)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato

0:30

Chorus. "O Love Divine" (The Christians)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

2:42

George Frideric Handel

Composer
Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian

Countertenor
Maxim Emelyanychev

Conductor
Il Pomo d'Oro

Orchestra, Choir
Lisette Oropesa

Soprano