Handel: Theodora, HWV 68

Handel: Theodora, HWV 68

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

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, Il Pomo d'Oro, 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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

2:03

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

Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Maxim Emelyanychev, John Chest, 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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

1:40

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

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

0:35

Air. "The Raptur’d Soul" (Didymus)

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

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Michael Spyres

8:11

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa

0:27

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa

4:00

Recitative. "O Bright Example of All Goodness" (Irene)

Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:38

Air. "Bane of Virtue" (Irene)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato, 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)

Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

1:08

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

Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

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)

Michael Spyres, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

2:41

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

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

Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

3:39

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

Joyce DiDonato, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, 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)

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, John Chest, 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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

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)

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa, 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)

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

1:20

Air. "Though the Honours" (Septimius)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Michael Spyres, Maxim Emelyanychev

3:12

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

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

0:38

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

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

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, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

2:17

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

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

1:33

Air. "The Pilgrim’s Home" (Theodora)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro

2:58

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

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

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)

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

4:26

Recitative. "’Tis Night" (Irene)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato

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

3:39

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato

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, Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa

0:14

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

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

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, Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro

4:17

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

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

1:12

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa, 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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, John Chest

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

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)

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

0:54

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

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

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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

2:42

George Frideric Handel

Composer
Joyce DiDonato

Mezzo-Soprano
Michael Spyres

Tenor
Il Pomo d'Oro

Orchestra, Choir
Lisette Oropesa

Soprano