Handel: Theodora, HWV 68

Handel: Theodora, HWV 68

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

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, John Chest, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:30

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, John Chest, Maxim Emelyanychev

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, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, John Chest

1:02

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, John Chest

3:15

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

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)

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

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)

Michael Spyres, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

8:11

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

2:29

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro

1:08

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato, 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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Michael Spyres, Il Pomo d'Oro

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)

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

1:02

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

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

1:13

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

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

5:21

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev

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, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, John Chest

2:11

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

John Chest, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa

0:35

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa

3:07

Air

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

1:03

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, 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)

Michael Spyres, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

3:12

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

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

0:38

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

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

7:01

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:40

Air. "Defend Her, Heav’n!" (Irene)

Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

5:46

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

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

0:38

Air. "Sweet Rose and Lily" (Didymus)

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

2:17

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

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

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)

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

1:58

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

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

4:26

Recitative. "’Tis Night" (Irene)

Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro, 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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato

7:04

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

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

0:38

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

Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:50

Accompagnato. "O My Irene" (Theodora)

Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:29

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:14

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

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

1:12

Recitative. "She’s Gone" (Irene)

Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:38

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro

4:17

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

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

1:12

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

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

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)

John Chest, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

1:02

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

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

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)

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

0:37

Air. "Ye Ministers of Justice" (Valens)

Maxim Emelyanychev, John Chest, Il Pomo d'Oro

1:26

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

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

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)

Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:30

Chorus. "O Love Divine" (The Christians)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

2:42

George Frideric Handel

Composer
Il Pomo d'Oro

Orchestra, Choir
Lisette Oropesa

Soprano
Michael Spyres

Tenor
Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian

Countertenor