Handel: Theodora, HWV 68

Handel: Theodora, HWV 68

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

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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, 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)

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

1:02

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

John Chest, Maxim Emelyanychev, 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)

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

0:35

Air. "The Raptur’d Soul" (Didymus)

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

8:12

Recitative. "I Know Thy Virtues" (Septimius)

Michael Spyres, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:42

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

Michael Spyres, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

8:11

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

Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:27

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, 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)

Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

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, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

1:08

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato

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, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:20

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Michael Spyres

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)

Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

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)

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

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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

4:41

Recitative. "Ye Men of Antioch" (Valens)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, 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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, John Chest

2:11

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, John Chest

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, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:35

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

Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

3:07

Air

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

1:03

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

Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

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)

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

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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, 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, 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)

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

2:17

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

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

1:33

Air. "The Pilgrim’s Home" (Theodora)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa

2:58

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

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

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

4:26

Recitative. "’Tis Night" (Irene)

Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

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)

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

0:38

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa

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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa

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)

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

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)

Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

4:17

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

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

1:12

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

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

1:02

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

Michael Spyres, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

2:50

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

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

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)

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

0:54

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

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

5:37

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

Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:30

Chorus. "O Love Divine" (The Christians)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

2:42

George Frideric Handel

Composer
Maxim Emelyanychev

Conductor
Il Pomo d'Oro

Orchestra, Choir
Lisette Oropesa

Soprano
Joyce DiDonato

Mezzo-Soprano