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Handel: Theodora, HWV 68

Handel: Theodora, HWV 68

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

George Frideric Handel
Theodora, HWV 68
2:58:48
Overture
Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro
2:58
Trio
Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro
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)
Maxim Emelyanychev, John Chest, Il Pomo d'Oro
1:52
Chorus. "And Draw a Blessing Down" (The Heathens)
Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev
2:03
Recitative. "Vouchsafe, Dread Sir" (Didymus, Valens)
John Chest, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro
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, Maxim Emelyanychev, Michael Spyres, Il Pomo d'Oro
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)
Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, 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)
Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev
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)
Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato, 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)
Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro
1:08
Air. "As with Rosy Steps the Morn" (Irene)
Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, 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, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev
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)
Michael Spyres, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev
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)
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)
Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev
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)
Maxim Emelyanychev, John Chest, Il Pomo d'Oro
2:11
Recitative. "Return, Septimius, to the Stubborn Maid" (Valens)
John Chest, Maxim Emelyanychev, 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, Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev
0:35
Air. "With Darkness Deep, as is My Woe" (Theodora)
Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev
3:07
Air
Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro
1:03
Recitative. "But Why Art Thou Disquieted, My Soul" (Theodora)
Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa
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)
Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Maxim Emelyanychev, Michael Spyres, Il Pomo d'Oro
1:20
Air. "Though the Honours" (Septimius)
Il Pomo d'Oro, Michael Spyres, Maxim Emelyanychev
3:12
Recitative. "Oh, Save Her Then" (Didymus, Septimius)
Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Michael Spyres
0:38
Air. "Deeds of Kindness to Display" (Didymus)
Maxim Emelyanychev, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Il Pomo d'Oro
7:01
Recitative. "The Clouds Begin to Veil" (Irene)
Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato
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, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Il Pomo d'Oro
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, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro
1:33
Air. "The Pilgrim’s Home" (Theodora)
Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro
2:58
Accompagnato. "Forbid It, Heav’n!" (Didymus)
Maxim Emelyanychev, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Il Pomo d'Oro
0:37
Recitative. "Or Say, What Right Have I to Take" (Didymus, Theodora)
Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian
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)
Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato
7:04
Recitative. "But See, the Good, the Virtuous Didymus" (Irene, Theodora)
Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato
0:38
Air. "When Sunk in Anguish and Despair" (Theodora)
Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa
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, Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa
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)
Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev, 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)
Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev
4:17
Recitative. "Is It a Christian Virtue" (Valens, Didymus, Theodora, Septimius)
Michael Spyres, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, John Chest
1:12
Recitative. "Be That My Doom" (Theodora, Septimius)
Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Michael Spyres, Lisette Oropesa
1:02
Air. "From Virtue Springs Each Gen’rous Deed" (Septimius)
Maxim Emelyanychev, Michael Spyres, Il Pomo d'Oro
5:45
Air. "Cease, Ye Slaves, Your Fruitless Pray’r" (Valens)
Maxim Emelyanychev, John Chest, Il Pomo d'Oro
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)
Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, John Chest, Il Pomo d'Oro
0:37
Air. "Ye Ministers of Justice" (Valens)
Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, John Chest
1:26
Recitative. "And Must Such Beauty Suffer?" (Didymus, Theodora, Septimius)
Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Il Pomo d'Oro, Michael Spyres
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)
Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro
0:30
Chorus. "O Love Divine" (The Christians)
Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev
2:42

28 October 2022 78 Tracks, 2 Hours 58 minutes ℗ A Warner Classics/Erato release, 2022 Parlophone Records Limited

RECORD LABEL

Warner Classics

  • George Frideric Handel

    Composer

  • Maxim Emelyanychev

    Conductor

  • Il Pomo d'Oro

    Orchestra, Choir

  • Lisette Oropesa

    Soprano

  • Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian

    Countertenor

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  • Botswana
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  • Cape Verde
  • Chad
  • Côte d’Ivoire
  • Congo, The Democratic Republic Of The
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