Handel: Theodora, HWV 68

Handel: Theodora, HWV 68

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

John Chest, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

2:03

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

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

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

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)

Michael Spyres, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa

0:27

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

Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

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, Il Pomo d'Oro, 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, Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato

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)

Michael Spyres, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

2:41

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

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

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev

3:39

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

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

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)

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)

John Chest, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

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, 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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:54

Recitative. "O Thou Bright Sun" (Theodora)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa

0:35

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

Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

3:07

Air

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

1:03

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

Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:30

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro

3:23

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

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

1:20

Air. "Though the Honours" (Septimius)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Michael Spyres, Il Pomo d'Oro

3:12

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

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

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato

0:40

Air. "Defend Her, Heav’n!" (Irene)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato

5:46

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

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

1:33

Air. "The Pilgrim’s Home" (Theodora)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev

2:58

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

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

0:37

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

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

1:58

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

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

4:26

Recitative. "’Tis Night" (Irene)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro

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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro

7:04

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

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

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, Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro

3:39

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

Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro, 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)

Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev, 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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro

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)

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

1:12

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

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

1:02

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, 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)

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

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)

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

0:37

Air. "Ye Ministers of Justice" (Valens)

John Chest, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

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

5:37

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato, 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
Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian

Countertenor