Handel: Theodora, HWV 68

Handel: Theodora, HWV 68

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

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

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, Maxim Emelyanychev, John Chest

0:30

Air. "Go, My Faithful Soldier, Go" (Valens)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, John Chest

1:52

Chorus. "And Draw a Blessing Down" (The Heathens)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

2:03

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

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

1:02

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, 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)

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

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)

Michael Spyres, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:42

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Michael Spyres

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:38

Air. "Bane of Virtue" (Irene)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato

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)

Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro, 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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Michael Spyres, Il Pomo d'Oro

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, 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)

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

1:13

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

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

5:21

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

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

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)

John Chest, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa

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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa

3:23

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

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

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

2:17

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

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

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, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:37

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

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

1:58

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

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

4:26

Recitative. "’Tis Night" (Irene)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, 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)

Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

7:04

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

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

Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

3:39

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato

0:50

Accompagnato. "O My Irene" (Theodora)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev

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)

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

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)

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

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, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

2:50

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

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

0:37

Air. "Ye Ministers of Justice" (Valens)

John Chest, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

1:26

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

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

0:54

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

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

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
Joyce DiDonato

Mezzo-Soprano
Maxim Emelyanychev

Conductor
Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian

Countertenor
Michael Spyres

Tenor