Product Overview
Handel - Theodora - Gabrieli Consort & Players, Paul McCreesh / Archiv Produktion 3x Audio CD 2000 Stereo / 469 061-2
UPC 028946906125
Theodora (HWV 68) is a dramatic oratorio in three acts by George Frideric Handel, set to an English libretto by Thomas Morell. The oratorio concerns the Christian martyr Theodora and her Christian-converted Roman lover, Didymus. It had its first performance at Covent Garden Theatre on 16 March 1750.
Not popular with audiences in Handel's day, Theodora is now recognised as a masterpiece and is sometimes fully staged as an opera.
| Label: | Archiv Produktion – 469 061-2 |
|---|---|
| Format: |
3 x CD
|
| Country: | Europe |
| Released: |
2000 |
| Genre: | Classical |
| Style: | Baroque, Oratorio |
Tracklist:
| Ouverture | |||
| 1-1 | [Grave] - Allegro | 3:03 | |
| 1-2 | Trio | 1:48 | |
| 1-3 | Courante | 1:44 | |
|
Part I - Erster Teil - Premiére Partie |
|||
| Scene 1 | |||
| 1-4 | Recitative (Valens): Tis Dioclesian's Natal Day | 0:34 | |
| 1-5 | Air (Valens): Go, My Faithful Soldier, Go | 1:51 | |
| 1-6 | Chorus: And Draw A Blessing Down | 2:07 | |
| 1-7 | Recitative (Didymus, Valens): Vouchsafe, Dread Sir | 0:55 | |
| 1-8 | Air (Valens): Racks, Gibbets, Sword & Fire | 3:20 | |
| 1-9 | Chorus: For Ever Thus Stands Fixed The Doom | 1:37 | |
|
Scene 2 |
|||
| 1-10 | Recitative (Didymus): Most Cruel Edict | 0:30 | |
| 1-11 | Air (Didymus): The Rapture'd Soul | 8:18 | |
| 1-12 | Recitative (Septimius): I Know Thy Virtues | 0:45 | |
| 1-13 | Air (Septimius): Descend, Kind Pity | 7:11 | |
|
Scene 3 |
|||
| 1-14 | Recitative (Theodora): Tho' Hard My Friends | 0:28 | |
| 1-15 | Air (Theodora): Fond, Flatt'ring World, Adieu | 4:18 | |
| 1-16 | Recitative (Irene): O Bright Example | 0:28 | |
| 1-17 | Air (Irene): Bane Of Virtue | 5:06 | |
| 1-18 | Chorus: Come, Mighty Father | 2:35 | |
|
Scene 4 |
|||
| 1-19 | Recitative (Messenger, Irene): Fly, Fly, My Brethren | 1:02 | |
| 1-20 | Air (Irene): As With Rosy Steps | 6:48 | |
| 1-21 | Chorus: All Pow'r In Heav'n | 2:15 | |
|
Scene 5 |
|||
| 1-22 | Recitativo (Septimius): Mistaken Wretches | 0:21 | |
| 1-23 | Air (Septimius): Dread The Fruits Of Christian Folly | 2:43 | |
| 1-24 | Recitative Accompagnato (Theodora, Spetimius): Deluded Mortal | 1:21 | |
| 1-25 | Air (Theodora): Angles, Ever Brigth, And Fair | 3:36 | |
|
Scene 6 |
|||
| 1-26 | Recitative (Didymus, Irene): Unhappy, Happy Crew | 1:12 | |
| 1-27 | Air (Didymus): Kind Heav'n, If Virtue Be Thy Care | 5:05 | |
| 1-28 | Recitative (Irene): O Love, How Great Thy Pow'r | 0:23 | |
| 1-29 | Chorus: Go, Gen'rous Pious Youth | 4:52 | |
|
Part II - Zweiter Teil - Deuxieme Partie |
|||
| Scene 1 | |||
| 2-1 | Recitative (Valens): Ye Men Of Antioch | 0:36 | |
| 2-2 | Chorus: Queen Of Summer | 0:50 | |
| 2-3 | Air ( Valens): Wide Spread His Name | 2:22 | |
| 2-4 | Recitative (Valens): Return, Septimius | 0:37 | |
| 2-5 | Chorus: Venus, Laughing From The Skies | 1:18 | |
|
Scene 2 |
|||
| 2-6 | Symphony | 1:02 | |
| 2-7 | Recitative (Theodora): O Thou Bright Sun | 0:39 | |
| 2-8 | Air (Theodora): With Darkness Deep As Is My Woe | 3:54 | |
| 2-9 | Symphony Of Soft Musick | 1:22 | |
| 2-10 | Recitative (Theodora): But Why Art Thou Disquieted | 0:22 | |
| 2-11 | Air (Theodora): Oh, That I On Wings Could Rise | 3:13 | |
|
Scene 3 |
|||
| 2-12 | Recitative (Didymus, Septimius): Long Have I Known | 1:22 | |
| 2-13 | Air (Septimius): Tho' The Honours | 3:57 | |
| 2-14 | Recitative (Didymus, Septimius): O Save Her Then | 0:36 | |
| 2-15 | Air (Didymus): Deeds Of Kindness | 6:58 | |
|
Scene 4 |
|||
| 2-16 | Recitative (Irene): The Clouds Begin To Veil The Hemisphere | 0:39 | |
| 2-17 | Air (Irene): Defend Her, Heav'n | 4:58 | |
|
Scene 5 |
|||
| 2-18 | Recitative (Didymus): Or Lulled With Grief | 0:34 | |
| 2-19 | Air (Didymus): Sweet Rose And Lily | 2:32 | |
| 2-20 | Recitative (Theodora, Didymus): O Save Me Heav'n | 1:18 | |
| 2-21 | Air (Theodora): The Pilgrim's Home | 2:43 | |
| 2-22 | Acompagnato - Recitative (Didymus): Forbid It, Heav'n | 1:54 | |
| 2-23 | Duet (Theodora, Didymus): To Thee, Thou Glorious Son Of Worth | 4:36 | |
|
Scene 6 |
|||
| 2-24 | Recitative (Irene): 'Tis Night | 0:47 | |
| 2-25 | Chorus: He Saw The Lovely Youth | 4:49 | |
|
Alternative Version Of Scene 2 |
|||
| 2-26 | Recitative (Theodora): O Thou Bright Sun | 0:40 | |
| 2-27 | Symphony | 1:40 | |
| 2-28 | Recitative (Theodora): But Why Art Thou Disquieted | 0:21 | |
| 2-29 | Air (Theodora): O That I On Wings Could Rise | 3:15 | |
|
Part III - Deitter Teil - Troisieme Partie |
|||
| Scene 1 | |||
| 3-1 | Air (Irene): Lord, To Thee | 5:12 | |
|
Scene 2 |
|||
| 3-2 | Recitative (Irene, Theodora): But See, The Good, The Virtuous Didymus | 0:37 | |
| 3-3 | Air (Theodora): When Sunk In Anguish | 3:55 | |
| 3-4 | Chorus: Blest Be The Hand | 3:28 | |
|
Scene 3 |
|||
| 3-5 | Recitiative - Acompagnato (Messenger, Irene, Theodora): Undaunted In The Court |
1:31 | |
| 3-6 | Duet (Irene, Theodora): Whither, Princess | 1:09 | |
| 3-7 | Recitative (Irene): She's Gone | 0:40 | |
| 3-8 | Air (Irene): New Scenes Of Joy | 4:31 | |
|
Scenes 4 And 5 |
|||
| 3-9 | Recitative (Valens, Didymus, Theodora, Septimius): Is It A Christian Virtue Then | 1:55 | |
| 3-10 | Air (Septimius): From Virtue Springs | 6:35 | |
| 3-11 | Air (Valens): Cease, Ye Slaves | 1:02 | |
| 3-12 | Recitative (Didymus, Theodora): 'Tis Kind, My Friends | 0:53 | |
| 3-13 | Chorus: How Strange Their Ends | 3:22 | |
| 3-14 | Recitative (Didymus, Theodora, Valens): On Me Your Frowns | 0:32 | |
| 3-15 | Air (Valens): Ye Ministers Of Justice | 1:08 | |
|
Scene 6 |
|||
| 3-16 | Recitative (Didymus, Theodora, Septimius): And Must Such Beauty Suffer | 0:55 | |
| 3-17 | Air (Didymus, Theodora): Streams Of Pleasure Ever Flowing | 6:05 | |
|
Scene 7 |
|||
| 3-18 | Recitative (Irene): Ere This Their Doom Is Past | 0:21 | |
| 3-19 | Chorus: O Love Divine | 3:02 |
- Art Direction – Lutz Bode
- Bass Vocals – Neal Davies
- Composed By – Georg Friedrich Händel
- Conductor – Paul McCreesh
- Countertenor Vocals – Robin Blaze
- Edited By – Oliver Curdt
- Engineer [Balance] – Ulrich Vette
- Engineer [Recording] – Reinhard Lagemann
- Ensemble – Gabrieli Consort
- Liner Notes – Paul McCreesh, Ruth Smith (2)
- Liner Notes [French Translation] – Dennis Collins (2)
- Liner Notes [German Translation] – Stefan Lerche
- Mezzo-soprano Vocals – Susan Bickley
- Producer – Christopher Alder
- Soprano Vocals – Susan Gritton
- Tenor Vocals – Angus Smith, Paul Agnew (2)
