Handel: Theodora, HWV 68

Handel: Theodora, HWV 68

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

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

1:45

Courante

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

1:36

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, John Chest, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:30

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, John Chest

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

1:02

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, John Chest, Il Pomo d'Oro

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, Michael Spyres, Maxim Emelyanychev, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian

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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Michael Spyres

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa

0:27

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

Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

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, Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev

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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

2:17

Recitative. "Mistaken Wretches!" (Septimius)

Michael Spyres, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:20

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Michael Spyres, Maxim Emelyanychev

2:41

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

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

1:02

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev

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)

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

1:13

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

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

5:21

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato, 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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, John Chest

0:33

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:42

Air. "Wide Spread His Name" (Valens)

John Chest, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

2:11

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

John Chest, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:40

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

1:19

Symphony

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:54

Recitative. "O Thou Bright Sun" (Theodora)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:35

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro

3:07

Air

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

1:03

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa

0:30

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa

3:23

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

Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Michael Spyres, Maxim Emelyanychev, 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)

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

0:38

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

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

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, Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato

5:46

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

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

0:38

Air. "Sweet Rose and Lily" (Didymus)

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

2:17

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa, 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)

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

0:37

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

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

1:58

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

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

4:26

Recitative. "’Tis Night" (Irene)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato

0:47

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

3:42

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

Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

7:04

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

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

0:38

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

Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

3:36

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa

3:39

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

Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:50

Accompagnato. "O My Irene" (Theodora)

Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:29

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa

0:14

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

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

1:12

Recitative. "She’s Gone" (Irene)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:38

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato

4:17

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

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

1:12

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

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

1:02

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Michael Spyres

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)

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

1:01

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

2:50

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

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

0:37

Air. "Ye Ministers of Justice" (Valens)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, John Chest

1:26

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

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

0:54

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

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

5:37

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

Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:30

Chorus. "O Love Divine" (The Christians)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

2:42

George Frideric Handel

Composer
Michael Spyres

Tenor
Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian

Countertenor
Maxim Emelyanychev

Conductor
Joyce DiDonato

Mezzo-Soprano