Theodora, HWV 68

Album by George Frideric Handel & Louise Alder & Tim Mead & Anna Stéphany & Stuart Jackson & Adam Plachetka & Arcangelo & Jonathan Cohen

Theodora, HWV 68 is an oratorio by George Frideric Handel, first performed in 1750. Musically it combines Handel's late-Baroque choral and orchestral writing with expressive recitative and arias, characterised by sombre, contemplative textures and dramatic choral passages, and it was composed near the end of his career, occupying a distinctive place among his English oratorios for its tragic subject matter and moral focus.
Classical

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Disc 1

  1. 1.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Overture: Grave – Allegro
    3:10
  2. 2.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Overture: Trio
    1:37
  3. 3.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Overture: Courante
    1:13
  4. 4.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Recitative “’Tis Dioclesian’s Natal Day” (Valens)
    0:34
  5. 5.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Air “Go, My Faithful Soldier” (Valens)
    1:54
  6. 6.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Chorus “And Draw a Blessing Down” (Chorus of Heathens)
    2:13
  7. 7.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Recitative “Vouchsafe, Dread Sir” (Didymus, Valens)
    0:57
  8. 8.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Air “Racks, Gibbets, Sword, & Fire” (Valens)
    3:26
  9. 9.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Chorus “For Ever Thus Stands Fix’d the Doom” (Chorus of Heathens)
    1:44
  10. 10.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Recitative “Most Cruel Edict!” (Didymus)
    0:34
  11. 11.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Air “The Raptur’d Soul Defies the Sword” (Didymus)
    7:50
  12. 12.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Recitative “I Know Thy Virtues” (Septimius)
    0:53
  13. 13.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Air “Descend, Kind Pity, Heav’nly Guest” (Septimius)
    7:34
  14. 14.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Recitative “Tho’ Hard, My Friends” (Theodora)
    0:32
  15. 15.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Air “Fond, Flatt’ring World, Adieu!” (Theodora)
    4:38
  16. 16.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Recitative “O Bright Example of All Goodness!” (Irene)
    0:33
  17. 17.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Air “Bane of Virtue, Nurse of Passions” (Irene)
    5:24
  18. 18.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Chorus “Come, Mighty Father, Mighty Lord” (Chorus of Christians)
    3:09
  19. 19.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Recitative “Fly, Fly, My Brethren” (Messenger, Irene)
    0:58
  20. 20.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Air “As With Rosy Steps the Morn Advancing” (Irene)
    7:08
  21. 21.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Chorus “All Pow’r in Heav’n Above” (Chorus of Christians)
    2:16
  22. 22.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Recitative “Mistaken Wretches!” (Septimius)
    0:24
  23. 23.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Air “Dread the Fruits of Christian Folly” (Septimius)
    3:03
  24. 24.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Recitative “Deluded Mortal!” (Theodora, Septimius)
    0:52
  25. 25.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Recitative, Accompany’d “O Worse Than Death Indeed!” (Theodora)
    0:22
  26. 26.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Air “Angels, Ever Bright, & Fair” (Theodora)
    3:23
  27. 27.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Recitative “Unhappy Happy Crew!” (Didymus, Irene)
    0:49
  28. 28.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Air “Kind Heav’n, If Virtue Be Thy Care” (Didymus)
    5:33
  29. 29.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Recitative “O Love! How Great Thy Pow’r!” (Irene)
    0:24
  30. 30.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part I: Chorus “Go, Gen’Rous, Pious Youth” (Chorus of Christians)
    4:35

Disc 2

  1. 2.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part II: Recitative “Ye Men of Antioch” (Valens)
    0:33
  2. 3.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part II: Chorus “Queen of Summer, Queen of Love” (Chorus of Heathens)
    0:38
  3. 4.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part II: Air “Wide Spread His Name” (Valens)
    2:22
  4. 5.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part II: Recitative “Return, Septimius, to the Stubborn Maid” (Valens)
    0:34
  5. 6.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part II: Chorus “Venus Laughing From the Skies” (Chorus of Heathens)
    1:17
  6. 7.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part II: [Sinfonia]
    0:58
  7. 8.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part II: Recitative “O Thou Bright Sun!” (Theodora)
    0:37
  8. 9.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part II: Air “With Darkness Deep as Is My Woe” (Theodora)
    4:07
  9. 10.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part II: Symphony of Soft Musick
    1:29
  10. 11.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part II: Recitative “But Why Art Thou Disquieted, My Soul?” (Theodora)
    0:27
  11. 12.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part II: Air “O That I on Wings Cou’d Rise” (Theodora)
    3:22
  12. 13.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part II: Recitative “Long Have I Known Thy Friendly Social Soul” (Didymus, Septimius)
    1:06
  13. 14.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part II: Air “Tho’ the Honours” (Didymus)
    3:48
  14. 15.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part II: Recitative “O Save Her Then, or Give Me Pow’r to Save” (Didymus, Septimius)
    0:40
  15. 16.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part II: Air “Deeds of Kindness to Display” (Didymus)
    6:29
  16. 17.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part II: Recitative “The Clouds Begin to Veil the Hemisphere” (Irene)
    0:42
  17. 18.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part II: Air “Defend Her, Heav’n” (Irene)
    5:37
  18. 19.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part II: Recitative “Or Lull’d With Grief” (Didymus)
    0:34
  19. 20.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part II: Air “Sweet Rose, & Lily” (Didymus)
    2:42
  20. 21.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part II: Recitative “O Save Me, Heav’n” (Theodora, Didymus)
    1:10
  21. 22.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part II: Air “The Pilgrim’s Home” (Theodora)
    3:21
  22. 23.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part II: Recitative, Accompany’d “Forbid It, Heav’n!” (Didymus)
    0:25
  23. 24.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part II: Recitative “Or Say, What Right Have I” (Didymus, Theodora)
    1:19
  24. 25.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part II: Duet “To Thee, Thou Glorious Son of Worth” (Theodora, Didymus)
    4:29
  25. 26.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part II: Recitative “’Tis Night” (Irene)
    0:56
  26. 27.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part II: Chorus “He Saw the Lovely Youth” (Chorus of Christians)
    4:32

Disc 3

  1. 3.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part III: Air “Lord to Thee, Each Night, & Day” (Irene)
    5:21
  2. 4.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part III: Recitative “But See, the Good, the Virtuous Didymus!” (Irene, Theodora)
    0:36
  3. 5.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part III: Air “When Sunk in Anguish, & Despair” (Theodora)
    3:50
  4. 6.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part III: Chorus “Blest Be the Hand” (Theodora, Chorus of Christians)
    3:09
  5. 7.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part III: Recitative “Undaunted in the Court Stands Didymus” (Messenger, Irene)
    0:49
  6. 8.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part III: Recitative, Accompany’d “O My Irene, Heav’n Is Kind” (Theodora)
    0:26
  7. 9.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part III: Recitative “Stay Me Not, Dear Friend” (Theodora)
    0:11
  8. 10.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part III: Duet “Whither, Princess, Do You Fly” (Theodora, Irene)
    1:14
  9. 11.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part III: Recitative “She’s Gone, Disdaining Liberty & Life” (Irene)
    0:40
  10. 12.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part III: Air “New Scenes of Joy Come Crowding on” (Irene)
    3:57
  11. 13.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part III: Recitative “Is It a Christian Virtue Then” (Valens, Didymus)
    1:03
  12. 14.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part III: Recitative “Be That My Doom” (Theodora, Septimius)
    1:03
  13. 15.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part III: Air “From Virtue Springs Each Generous Deed” (Septimius)
    6:06
  14. 16.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part III: Air “Cease, Ye Slaves, Your Fruitless Pray’r” (Valens)
    1:07
  15. 17.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part III: Recitative “’Tis Kind, My Friends” (Didymus, Septimius, Theodora)
    0:49
  16. 18.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part III: Chorus “How Strange Their Ends” (Chorus of Heathens)
    3:20
  17. 19.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part III: Recitative “On Me Your Frowns” (Didymus, Valens, Theodora)
    0:31
  18. 20.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part III: Air “Ye Ministers of Justice” (Valens)
    1:22
  19. 21.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part III: Recitative “And Must Such Beauty Suffer!” (Didymus, Theodora, Septimius)
    0:53
  20. 22.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part III: Air “Streams of Pleasure Ever Flowing” (Didymus) / Duet “Thither Let Our Hearts Aspire” (Didymus, Theodora)
    6:02
  21. 23.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part III: Recitative “Ere This Their Doom Is Past” (Irene)
    0:26
  22. 24.
    Theodora, HWV 68: Part III: Chorus “O Love Divine, Thou Source of Fame” (Irene, Chorus of Christians)
    3:09

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