Handel: Theodora, HWV 68

Handel: Theodora, HWV 68

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

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

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, John Chest, Il Pomo d'Oro

1:52

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

2:03

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

John Chest, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, 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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

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)

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

8:12

Recitative. "I Know Thy Virtues" (Septimius)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Michael Spyres

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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro

4:00

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato

0:38

Air. "Bane of Virtue" (Irene)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato, 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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato

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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Michael Spyres

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)

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

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa

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)

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

5:21

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:34

Chorus. "Go, Gen’rous, Pious Youth" (Chorus)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

4:41

Recitative. "Ye Men of Antioch" (Valens)

John Chest, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

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, Il Pomo d'Oro, John Chest

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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa

0:35

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa

3:07

Air

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

1:03

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

Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:30

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

Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

3:23

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

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

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

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, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:40

Air. "Defend Her, Heav’n!" (Irene)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev

5:46

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

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

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)

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

1:33

Air. "The Pilgrim’s Home" (Theodora)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa

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)

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

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)

Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

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, Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato

7:04

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

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

0:38

Air. "When Sunk in Anguish and Despair" (Theodora)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa

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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato

0:50

Accompagnato. "O My Irene" (Theodora)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa

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)

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

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev

4:17

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

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

1:12

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

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

1:02

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

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

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

0:37

Air. "Ye Ministers of Justice" (Valens)

Maxim Emelyanychev, John Chest, Il Pomo d'Oro

1:26

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

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

0:54

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

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

2:42

George Frideric Handel

Composer
Il Pomo d'Oro

Orchestra, Choir
Lisette Oropesa

Soprano
Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian

Countertenor
Michael Spyres

Tenor