Theodora, HWV 68: Cantata/ Oratorio, Orchestra Accompaniment, Conductor Score

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) composed Theodora, HWV 68, his penultimate oratorio, between June 28 and July 31, 1749, setting an English libretto by the Reverend Thomas Morell based principally on Robert Boyle's Love and Religion Demonstrated in the Martyrdom of Theodora and Didymus (1687), a story of Christian martyrdom set during the persecutions of the Roman Empire. Unusually among Handel's oratorios, Theodora treats an explicitly Christian dramatic subject (Messiah being the principal other exception) and its contemplative, intimate character distinguishes it from the more triumphal Old Testament narratives that had brought Handel considerable success with London audiences. Set in Antioch during the reign of Emperor Diocletian, the plot begins when the Roman governor Valens orders the population to sacrifice to Jupiter in celebration of the emperor's birthday; Theodora, a noble Christian woman, refuses and is condemned to prostitution, but Didymus, a Roman officer secretly converted to Christianity and in love with her, enters her prison, exchanges clothes with her, and enables her escape. When Didymus is sentenced to death for his actions, Theodora returns and offers herself in his place; neither will accept life at the other's expense, and both ultimately go willingly to martyrdom, their steadfastness forming the spiritual and emotional culmination of the work. Theodora received its premiere on March 16, 1750, at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, London, with Giulia Frasi as Theodora and the celebrated castrato Gaetano Guadagni as Didymus, but it proved one of Handel's most conspicuous failures with his contemporary public, receiving only three performances that season and a single revival in 1755, despite admiration from knowledgeable listeners. Modern reassessment has dramatically reversed that judgment: Theodora, HWV 68 is now widely regarded as one of Handel's greatest dramatic and spiritual achievements, regularly performed in concert and increasingly presented in fully staged productions, with its profoundly expressive arias, duets, and unusually reflective choruses securing it an important place in the Baroque vocal repertoire. Instrumentation: 2.2.0.2: 2.2.0.0: Timp: [Hpchd in score]: Str (2.2.2.1.1 in set): Soli SMzATTB: Mix Chorus. Reprint edition.