Handel: Theodora, HWV 68

Handel: Theodora, HWV 68

John Chest, Michael Spyres, Joyce DiDonato, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Maxim Emelyanychev, 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 that lovers of Handel’s music should on no account miss hearing.

Overture

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

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)

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)

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

1:02

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, John Chest, Maxim Emelyanychev

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

0:35

Air. "The Raptur’d Soul" (Didymus)

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

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, Michael Spyres, Maxim Emelyanychev

8:11

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

Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:27

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

Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

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)

Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

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, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

1:08

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro

7:18

Chorus. "All Pow’r in Heav’n Above" (The Christians)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

2:17

Recitative. "Mistaken Wretches!" (Septimius)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Michael Spyres, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:20

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Michael Spyres

2:41

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

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

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa

3:39

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

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

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, John Chest

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)

John Chest, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

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)

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, Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:35

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

Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

3:07

Air

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa

3:23

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

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

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

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, Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:40

Air. "Defend Her, Heav’n!" (Irene)

Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

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)

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

1:33

Air. "The Pilgrim’s Home" (Theodora)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa

2:58

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

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

0:37

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

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

1:58

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

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

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)

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, Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato

0:38

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro

3:36

Theodora and Chorus. "Blest Be the Hand, and Blest the Pow’r" (Theodora, Chorus)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev

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, Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:29

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

Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:14

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

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

1:12

Recitative. "She’s Gone" (Irene)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:38

Air. "New Scenes of Joy Come Crowding on" (Irene)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato

4:17

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

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

1:12

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

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

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, John Chest, Il Pomo d'Oro

1:02

Recitative. "’Tis Kind, My Friends" (Didymus, Theodora)

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

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

0:54

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

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

5:37

Recitative. "Ere This, Their Doom is Past" (Irene)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato

0:30

Chorus. "O Love Divine" (The Christians)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

2:42

George Frideric Handel

Composer
Michael Spyres

Tenor
Joyce DiDonato

Mezzo-Soprano
Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian

Countertenor
Maxim Emelyanychev

Conductor