Handel - Theodora / Gritton, Bickley, Blaze, Agnew, A. Smith, N. Davies, Gabrieli Consort and Players, McCreesh at Music Hills.com

Music CD 1

Theodora: Ouverture - (grave) - allegro
Theodora: Ouverture - Trio
Theodora: Ouverture - Courante
Theodora: Recitative (Valens): 'Tis Dioclesian's Natal Day
Theodora: Air (Valens): Go, My Faithful Soldier, Go
Theodora: Chorus: And Draw A Blessing Down
Theodora: Recitative (Didymus, Valens): Vouchsafe, Dread Sir
Theodora: Air (Valens): Racks, Gibbets, Sword, & Fire
Theodora: Chorus: For Ever Thus Stands Fix'd The Doom
Theodora: Recitative (Didymus): Most Cruel Edict
Theodora: Air (Didymus): The Raptur'd Soul
Theodora: Recitative (Septimius): I Know Thy Virtues
Theodora: Air (Septimius): Descend, Kind Pity
Theodora: Recitative (Theodora): Tho' Hard, My Friends
Theodora: Air (Theodora): Fond, Flatt'ring World, Adieu
Theodora: Recitative (Irene): O Bright Example
Theodora: Air (Irene): Bane Of Virtue
Theodora: Chorus: Come, Mighty Father
Theodora: Recitative (Messenger, Irene): Fly, Fly, My Brethren
Theodora: Air (Irene): As With Rosy Steps
Theodora: Chorus: All Pow'r In Heav'n
Theodora: Recitative (Septimius): Mistaken Wretches
Theodora: Air (Seprimius): Dread The Fruits Of Christian Folly
Theodora: Recitative - Accompagnato (Theodora, Septimius)
Theodora: Air (Theodora): Angels, Ever Bright, And Fair
Theodora: Recitative (Didymus, Irene): Unhappy Happy Crew
Theodora: Air (Didymus): Kind Heav'n, If Virtue By Thy Care
Theodora: Recitative (Irene): O Love! How Great Thy Pow'r
Theodora: Chorus: Go, Gen'rous, Pious Youth

Music CD 2

Theodora: Recitative (Valens): Ye Men Of Antioch
Theodora: Chorus: Queen Of Summer
Theodora: Air (Valens): Wide Spread His Name
Theodora: Recitative (Valens): Return, Septimus
Theodora: Chorus: Venus Laughing From The Skies
Theodora: Symphony
Theodora: Recitative (Theodora): O Thou Bright Sun
Theodora: Air (Theodora): With Darkness Deep As Is My Woe
Theodora: Symphony Of Soft Musick
Theodora: Recitative (Theodora): But Why Art Thou Disquieted
Theodora: Air (Theodora): O That I On Wings Cou'd Rise
Theodora: Recitative (Didymus, Septimius): Long Have I Known
Theodora: Air (Septimius): Tho' The Honours
Theodora: Recitative: (Didymus, Septimius): O Save Her Then
Theodora: Air (Didymus): Deeds Of Kindness
Theodora: Recitative (Irene): The Clouds Begin To Veil The Hemisphere
Theodora: Air (Irene): Defend Her, Heav'n
Theodora: Recitative (Didymus): Or Lull'd With Grief
Theodora: Air (Didymus): Sweet Rose, And Lily
Theodora: Recitative (Theodora, Didymus): O Save Me, Heav'n
Theodora: Air (Theodora): The Pilgrim's Home
Theodora: Accompagnato - recitative (Didymus, Theodora): Forbid It, Heav'n
Theodora: Duet (Theodora, Didymus): To Thee, Thou Glorious Son Of Worth
Theodora: Recitative (Irene): 'Tis Night
Theodora: Chorus: He Saw The Lovely Youth
Theodora: Recitative (Theodora): O Thou Bright Sun
Theodora: Symphony
Theodora: Recitative (Theodora): But Why Art Thou Disquieted
Theodora: Air (Theodora): O That I On Wings Cou'd Rise

Music CD 3

Theodora: Air (Irene): Lord To Thee
Theodora: Recitative (Irene, Theodora): But See, The Good, The Virtuous Didymus
Theodora: Air (Theodora): When Sunk In Anguish
Theodora: Chorus: Blest Be The Hand
Theodora: Recitative - Accompagnato (Messenger, Irene, Theodora): Undaunted In The Court
Theodora: Duet (Irene, Theodora): Whither, Princess
Theodora: Recitative (Irene): She's Gone
Theodora: Air (Irene): New Scenes Of Joy
Theodora: Recitative (Valens, Didymus, Theodora, Septimius): Is It A Christian Virtue Then
Theodora: Air (Septimius): From Virtue Springs
Theodora: Air (Valens): Cease, Ye Slaves
Theodora: Recitative (Didymus, Theodora): 'Tis Kind, My Friends
Theodora: Chorus: How Strange Their Ends
Theodora: Recitative (Didymus, Theodora, Valens): On Me Your Frowns
Theodora: Air (Valens): Ye Ministers Of Justice
Theodora: Recitative (Didymus, Theodora, Septimius): And Must Such Beauty Suffer
Theodora: Air - Duet (Didymus, Theodora): Streams Of Pleasure
Theodora: Recitative (Irene): Ere This Their Doom Is Past
Theodora: Chorus: O Love Divine

Music reviews of Handel - Theodora / Gritton, Bickley, Blaze, Agnew, A. Smith, N. Davies, Gabrieli Consort and Players, McCreesh

Music Review: FAITH WORSE THAN DEATH
Rating: 5 Stars

Handel's Theodora is a towering masterpiece. It would be hard to imagine any serious music lover going through life ignorant of Messiah, the St Matthew Passion, Figaro or Tristan, but I wonder how many know Theodora, which is of the same stature as any of these. It is a big work (longer than Aida) and it is more even in quality than Messiah. It is not really right to single out individual numbers, but the first two arias from Theodora's confidante Irene will be likely to make a big impression on newcomers to the work until even they are surpassed by Theodora's Angels Ever Bright and Fair. The arias of Valens are superb pieces of Handelian swashbuckle, like The Enemy Said from Israel in Egypt or the tremendous Revenge Timotheus Cries from Alexander's Feast. The main choruses are wonderful and the whole work reinforces my growing belief that Handel was the ultimate master of vocal writing.

Morell's libretto seems to me distinctly good, given that it is in the strange lingo that English poetry adopted in the 18th century. It is never ridiculous, and Dryden himself inflicted far worse on Chaucer believing he was 'fortifying' him with 'a correct and splendid diction', more realistically called by Housman 'this impure verbiage'. I personally would not want the poetry too good, because most great poetry does not lend itself to musical setting (as well-intentioned settings of Housman seem to me to prove). Morell provides a workmanlike inner structure for Handel to erect his temple.

The performers are eminent specialists, it is many years since I last heard Theodora, I have no other performance to compare, and I am too grateful for this one to try to criticise. It suits me that vocal cadenzas are kept minimal and that the harpsichord continuo is not obtrusive. I thought I had read somewhere that Handel actually had clarinets for an early performance, but I may be mistaken. As often with Handel it is hard to establish an authoritative version of the score, and alternative endings to Act II are provided.

Will I live to see the day when Theodora is in its rightful place as a central classic of our musical heritage? This set can only help in a big way towards that.

Handel - Theodora / Gritton, Bickley, Blaze, Agnew, A. Smith, N. Davies, Gabrieli Consort and Players, McCreesh