Christie,William Handel: Theodora CD

Theodora was Handel's next-to-last oratorio, and though it was a failure at it's premiere, Handel preferred it above all his others. It tells of the martyrdom of the Christian Theodora (soprano) and her beloved Didymus (countertenor) at the hands of the Romans, with the villainous Valens (bass) in charge. Septimius (tenor) is a sympathetic Roman soldier and Irene (soprano) is Theodora's pious friend. This new recording presents the 3-hour work complete and is simply beautiful: Sophie Daneman sings Theodora's heart-felt arias expressively and with great innocence and lovely tone; Daniel Taylor's slim-voiced but sincere Didymus is effective; Valens's arias are spiteful and aggressive, and Nathan Berg makes a superb heavy; Richard Croft is magnificent in the complex role of Septimius, making his fast, coloratura-filled music sound easy, and Juliette Galstian is suitably devout and attractive of tone for Irene. As usual, William Christie and his Les Arts Florissants are right on the money, playing and singing with verve and commitment. Every so often the chorus (and Galstian) give away the fact that they aren't native English-speakers, but it hardly matters. Those who love Messiah and want to get to know some more Handel will be happy to encounter Theodora. Recommended.

1. Theodora : Overture to Part I - Allegro 2. Theodora : Overture to Part I - Trio 3. Theodora : Overture to Part I - Courante 4. Theodora : Part I "'Tis Diocletian's Natal Day" [Valens] 5. Theodora : Part I "Go, My Faithful Soldier, Go" [Valens] 6. Theodora : Part I "And Draw a Blessing Down" [Chorus] 7. Theodora : Part I "Vouchsafe, Dread Sir, a Gracious Ear" [Didymus, Valens] 8. Theodora : Part I "Racks, Gibbets, Sword and Fire" [Valens] 9. Theodora : Part I "For Ever Thus Stands Fixed the Doom" [Chorus] 10. Theodora : Part I "Most Cruel Edict!" [Didymus] 11. Theodora : Part I "The Raptur'd Soul Defies the Sword" [Didymus] 12. Theodora : Part I "I Know Thy Virtues" [Septimius] 13. Theodora : Part I "Desend, Kind Pity, Heav'nly Guest" [Septimius] 14. Theodora : Part I "Tho' Hard, My Friends" [Theodora] 15. Theodora : Part I "Fond, Flatt'ring World, Adieu!" [Theodora] 16. Theodora : Part I "O Bright Example of All Goodness!" [Irene] 17. Theodora : Part I "Bane of Virtue" [Irene] 18. Theodora : Part I "Come, Mighty Father" [Chorus] 19. Theodora : Part I "Fly, Fly, My Brethren" [Messenger] "Ah! Whither Should We Fly?" [Irene] 20. Theodora : Part I "As with Rosy Steps the Morn" [Irene] 21. Theodora : Part I "All Pow'r in Heav'n Above" [Chorus] 22. Theodora : Part I "Mistaken Wretches!" [Septimius] 23. Theodora : Part I "Dread the Fruits of Christian Folly" [Septimius] 24. Theodora : Part I "Deluded Mortal!" [Theodora, Septimius] 25. Theodora : Part I "Oh Worse Than Death Indeed!" [Theodora] 26. Theodora : Part I "Angels, Ever Bright and Fair" [Theodora] 27. Theodora : Part I "Unhappy, Happy Crew!" [Didymus, Irene] 28. Theodora : Part I "Kind Heav'n, If Virtue Be Thy Care" [Didymus] 29. Theodora : Part I "O Love, How Great Thy Pow'r!" [Irene] 30. Theodora : Part I "Go Gen'rous, Pious Youth" [Chorus] 31. Theodora : Part II "Ye Men of Antioch" [Valens] 32. Theodora : Part II "Queen of Summer, Queen of Love" [Chorus] 33. Theodora : Part II "Wide Spread His Name" [Valens] 34. Theodora : Part II "Return, Septimius" [Valens] 35. Theodora : Part II "Venus, Laughing from the Skies" [Chorus] 36. Theodora : Part II Symphony 37. Theodora : Part II "O Thou Bright Sun!" [Theodora] 38. Theodora : Part II "With Darkness Deep As Is My Woe" [Theodora] 39. Theodora : Part II Sinfonia 40. Theodora : Part II "But Why Art Thou Disquieted, My Soul?" [Theodora] 41. Theodora : Part II "Oh, That I on Wings Could Rise" [Theodora] 42. Theodora : Part II "Long Have I Known" [Didymus, Septimius] 43. Theodora : Part II "Tho' the Honours That Flora and Venus Receive" [Septimius] 44. Theodora : Part II "O Save Her Then" [Didymus, Septimius] 45. Theodora : Part II "Deeds of Kindness to Display" [Didymus] 46. Theodora : Part II "The Clouds Begin to Veil the Hemisphere" [Irene] 47. Theodora : Part II "Defend Her, Heav'n" [Irene] 48. Theodora : Part II "Or Lulled with Grief" [Didymus] 49. Theodora : Part II "Sweet Rose and Lilly, Flow'ry Form" [Didymus] 50. Theodora : Part II "O Save Me, Heav'n" [Theodora, Didymus] 51. Theodora : Part II "The Pilgrim's Home, the Sick Man's Health" [Theodora] 52. Theodora : Part II "Forbid It, Heav'n!" [Didymus] 53. Theodora : Part II "Or Say, What Right Have I" [Didymus, Theodora] 54. Theodora, HWV 68, Part 2: "To Thee, Thou Glorious Son of Worth" (Theodora, Didymus) 55. Theodora : Part II "'Tis Night, But Night's Sweet Blessing" [Irene] 56. Theodora : Part II "He Saw the Lovely Youth" [Chorus] 57. Theodora : Part III "Lord to Thee, Each Night and Day" [Irene] 58. Theodora : Part III "But See, the Good, the Virtuous Didymus!" [Irene, Theodora] 59. Theodora : Part III "When Sunk in Anguish and Despair" [Theodora] 60. Theodora : Part III "Blest Be the Hand" [Chorus, Theodora] 61. Theodora : Part III "Undaunted in the Court" [Messenger, Irene] 62. Theodora : Part III "O My Irene, Heav'n Is Kind" "Stay Me Not, My Friend" [Theodora] 63. Theodora : Part III "Whither, Princess, Do You Fly" [Irene, Theodora] 64. Theodora : Part III "She's Gone, Disdaining Liberty and Life" [Irene] 65. Theodora : Part III "New Scenes of Joy Come Crowding On" [Irene] 66. Theodora : Part III "Is It a Christian Virtue, Then" [Valens, Didymus] "Be That My Doom" [Theodora, Septimius] 67. Theodora : Part III "From Virtue Springs Each Gen'rous Deed" [Septimius] 68. Theodora : Part III "Cease, Ye Slaves, Your Fruitless Pray'r" [Valens] 69. Theodora : Part III "'Tis Kind, My Friends" [Didymus, Theodora] 70. Theodora : Part III "How Strange Their Ends" [Chorus] 71. Theodora : Part III "On Me Your Frowns" [Didymus, Theodora, Valens] 72. Theodora : Part III "And Must Such Beauty Suffer!" [Didymus, Theodora, Septimius] 73. Theodora : Part III "Streams of Pleasure Ever Flowing..." "Thither Let Our Hearts Aspire!" [Didymus, Theodora] 74. Theodora : Part III "Ere This Their Doom Is Past" [Irene] 75. Theodora : Part III "O Love Divine, Thou Source of Fame" [Irene, Chorus]