Handel: Theodora, HWV 68

Handel: Theodora, HWV 68

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

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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, John Chest, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:30

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, John Chest

1:52

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

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

2:03

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

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

1:02

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

John Chest, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

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)

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

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, Michael Spyres

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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa, 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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

2:29

Recitative. "Fly, Fly, My Brethren" (Messenger, Irene)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Joyce DiDonato, 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)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

2:17

Recitative. "Mistaken Wretches!" (Septimius)

Michael Spyres, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

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, 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)

Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

3:39

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

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

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)

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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro, 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)

Maxim Emelyanychev, John Chest, Il Pomo d'Oro

2:11

Recitative. "Return, Septimius, to the Stubborn Maid" (Valens)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev, 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)

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, Il Pomo d'Oro, Lisette Oropesa

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)

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

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

0:38

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

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

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)

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)

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

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)

Lisette Oropesa, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

2:58

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

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

0:37

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

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

1:58

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

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

4:26

Recitative. "’Tis Night" (Irene)

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

7:04

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

Lisette Oropesa, Joyce DiDonato, 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)

Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev, Il Pomo d'Oro

3:39

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro

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, Lisette Oropesa, Maxim Emelyanychev

0:14

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

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

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)

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

1:12

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

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

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)

John Chest, Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

1:02

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

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

1:01

Chorus. "How Strange Their Ends, Yet How Glorious" (The Heathens)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

2:50

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

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

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)

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

Maxim Emelyanychev, Joyce DiDonato, Il Pomo d'Oro

0:30

Chorus. "O Love Divine" (The Christians)

Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev

2:42

George Frideric Handel

Composer
Maxim Emelyanychev

Conductor
Michael Spyres

Tenor
Il Pomo d'Oro

Orchestra, Choir
Lisette Oropesa

Soprano