Handel: Theodora, HWV 68

Handel: Theodora, HWV 68

John Chest, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev, 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

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)

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

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)

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

Michael Spyres, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev

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, Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato

0:38

Air. "Bane of Virtue" (Irene)

Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Michael Spyres

2:41

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

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

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)

Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

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)

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

5:21

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, John Chest, Maxim Emelyanychev

2:11

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, John Chest, Maxim Emelyanychev

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:35

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

Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

3:07

Air

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

1:03

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:30

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev

3:23

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

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

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)

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

7:01

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato, 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)

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

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)

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

1:33

Air. "The Pilgrim’s Home" (Theodora)

Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

2:58

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

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

0:37

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

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

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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato, 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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev

7:04

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato, 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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, 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)

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

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)

Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

4:17

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

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

1:12

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

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

1:02

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

Michael Spyres, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

5:45

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, John Chest

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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

2:50

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

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

0:37

Air. "Ye Ministers of Justice" (Valens)

Il Pomo d'Oro, John Chest, Maxim Emelyanychev

1:26

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

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

0:54

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, 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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

2:42

George Frideric Handel

Composer
Il Pomo d'Oro

Orchestra, Choir
Lisette Oropesa

Soprano
Maxim Emelyanychev

Conductor
Joyce DiDonato

Mezzo-Soprano