Handel - Theodora / Harnoncourt

George Frederick Handel (Composer), Nikolaus Harnoncourt (Conductor), Herbert Tachezi (Performer), Arnold Schoenberg Choir (Orchestra), Concentus Musicus Wien (Orchestra), Roberta Alexander (Performer), Hans Peter Blochwitz (Performer), Anton Scharinger (Performer), Jard van Nes (Performer), Jochen Kowalski (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Herbert Tachezi, Roberta Alexander, Hans Peter Blochwitz, Anton Scharinger, Jard van Nes, et al.
• Orchestra: Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Concentus Musicus Wien
• Conductor: Nikolaus Harnoncourt
• Composer: George Frederick Handel
• Audio CD (August 2, 1991)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Elektra / Wea
• ASIN: B000000SDA
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #72,649 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Theodora: Overture

2. Theodora: Act I: Recitative 'tis Dioclesian's natal day' (Valens)

3. Theodora: Act I: Air 'Go, my faithful soldier' (Valens)

4. Theodora: Act I: Chorus 'And draw a blessing down' (Chorus of Heathens)

5. Theodora: Act I: Recitative 'Vouchsafe, dread Sir' (Didymus, Valens)

6. Theodora: Act I: Air 'Racks, gibbets, sword, and fire' (Valens)

7. Theodora: Act I: Chorus 'For ever thus stands' (Chorus of Heathens)

8. Theodora: Act I: Recitative 'Most cruel edict' (Didymus)

9. Theodora: Act I: Air 'The raptur'd soul' (Didymus)

10. Theodora: Act I: Recitative 'I know thy virtues' (Septimius)

See all 31 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Theodora: Act II: (Largo)

2. Theodora: Act II: Recitative 'Oh thou bright sun' (Theodora)

3. Theodora: Act II: Air 'With darkness deep' (Theodora)

4. Theodora: Act II: (Largo)

5. Theodora: Act II: Recitative 'But why art thou disquieted' (Theodora)

6. Theodora: Act II: Recitative 'Septimius, I am a Christian' (Didymus, Septimius)

7. Theodora: Act II: Air 'Though the honours' (Septimius)

8. Theodora: Act II: Recitiative 'Oh save her then' (Didymus, Septimius)

9. Theodora: Act II: Recitative 'The clouds begin to veil' (Irene)

10. Theodora: Act II: Air 'Defend her, Heaven' (Irene)

See all 35 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lovely music. A nice interpretation., July 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Handel - Theodora / Harnoncourt (Audio CD)

Theodora is one of Handel's loveliest oratorios. The music is beautiful and full of tenderness and Harnoncourt, the soloists, choir and orchestra seem to understand this aspect very well.

I wouldn't consider R. Alexander to be an ideal baroque music singer but here she does a wonderful job: she understands her role and is really expressive. H.P. Blochwitz is also marvelous here. The rest of the soloists and the choir are worth listening to, if not great. The orchestra and N. Harnoncourt do a really fine job.

The only negative thing about this recording is, that it doesn't include all arias written by Handel, but I think it is still a really pleasant recording.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite, July 19, 2009

By 

Peter Brawley - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Handel - Theodora / Harnoncourt (Audio CD)

Musical, tender, heartfelt. No-one holds a candle to the sorely missed Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson, and nobody but nobody delivers a tenth of the white heat she brought to the Air at the beginning of Act III ("Lord we sing and pray"), but in the rest of this gorgeous recording, Roberta Alexander (soprano) and Jard Van Ness (mezzo) are exquisite. The chorus and the band shine equally, and the acoustic is just right. Harnoncourt restrains himself most uncharacteristically--the pacing is sensitive and intuitive.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars EXCELENTE INTERPRETACIÃ"N., October 17, 2002

By 

Ubail Zamora (La Habana, Cuba) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Handel - Theodora / Harnoncourt (Audio CD)

Theodora se encuentra entre los más dramáticos oratorios escritos por Handel. La belleza de su música y lo acentuado de su drama la hacen una obra de inestimable valor para los amantes de este género. La grabación realizada por Harnoncourt, en vivo, en 1990, nos envuelve y seduce, dejándonos llevar por la arrolladora fuerza de esta partitura del gran compositor sajón. Los coros son interpretados con maestría y el Arnold Schoemberg salva con limpieza los difíciles melismas de la escritura. La orquesta refuerza los intensos pasajes de la historia y los intérpretes vocales están a la altura de lo exigido por Handel. La Alexander es una Theodora sensible, el contratenor Jochen Kowalski nos dibuja un Didymus apasionado y la Irene de Jan van Nes es vigorosa y penetrante. El resto cumple su cometido, a destacarse la belleza vocal del tenor Hans Peter Blochwitz. Como ocurre con su interpretación de Samson, la única inconveniencia de la grabación son los cortes que el director realiza a la obra, a favor de su continuidad dramática. Las mutilaciones son menos importantes que las realizadas a Samson, pero todo aficionado extrañará la integridad del oratorio. De todas formas, la adición de esta versión a su discografía, será indudablemente un acierto.