Handel: Theodora (3CD)

Handel: Theodora (3CD)

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.
Country USA
Brand Warner Classics
Manufacturer Erato
Binding Audio CD
ItemPartNumber 17713094
Model 35224743
ReleaseDate 2015-09-25
UnitCount 3
UPCs 825646098385
EANs 0825646098385

Country	USA
Brand	Warner Classics
Manufacturer	Erato
Binding	Audio CD
ItemPartNumber	17713094
Model	35224743
ReleaseDate	2015-09-25
UnitCount	3
UPCs	825646098385
EANs	0825646098385

Handel: Theodora (3CD)

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