Handel: Theodora, HWV 68

Handel: Theodora, HWV 68

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

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

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)

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)

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

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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

1:40

Recitative. "Most Cruel Edict" (Didymus, Septimius)

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

0:35

Air. "The Raptur’d Soul" (Didymus)

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

8:12

Recitative. "I Know Thy Virtues" (Septimius)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Michael Spyres, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:42

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Michael Spyres

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev

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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

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, Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev

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, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:20

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

Michael Spyres, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

2:41

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

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

1:02

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

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

1:13

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

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

5:21

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

Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, John Chest, Maxim Emelyanychev

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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa

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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa

0:30

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

Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

3:23

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

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

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

0:38

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

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

7:01

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

Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

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)

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

0:38

Air. "Sweet Rose and Lily" (Didymus)

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

2:17

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

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

1:33

Air. "The Pilgrim’s Home" (Theodora)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro

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)

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, Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian

4:26

Recitative. "’Tis Night" (Irene)

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

7:04

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

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

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, Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro

3:39

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato

0:50

Accompagnato. "O My Irene" (Theodora)

Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:29

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa

0:14

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

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

1:12

Recitative. "She’s Gone" (Irene)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato

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)

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

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)

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)

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

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, John Chest, Maxim Emelyanychev, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Lisette Oropesa

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)

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

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:30

Chorus. "O Love Divine" (The Christians)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

2:42

George Frideric Handel

Composer
Maxim Emelyanychev

Conductor
Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian

Countertenor
Michael Spyres

Tenor
Il Pomo d'Oro

Orchestra, Choir