Handel’s Unique Theodora

Louise Adler (soprano) Theodora
Tim Mead (counter-tenor) Didymus
Anna Stéphany (mezzo-soprano) Irene
Stuart Jackson (tenor) Septimus
Adam Plachetka (bass-baritone) Valens
Arcangelo
Jonathan Cohen (harpsichord and direction)

Recorded 31^st March‒6^th April 2023, St Augustine’s Church, Kilburn, London (England)

Alpha Classics (ALPHA 1025)

review by Lukáš M. Vytlačil

The oratorio Theodora occupies only a marginal position in the Czech reception of the works of George Frideric Handel (1685‒1759). Yet it is, in fact, one of the composer‘s most fully realised achievements, in which he brought together a lifetime of compositional experience and led the genre of the English oratorio – through which he secured a permanent position within British cultural life – to a remarkable culmination. What renders Theodora genuinely exceptional, however, is its choice of subject. It is Handel’s only oratorio whose libretto does not draw directly on a Biblical narrative, but instead takes its inspiration from the legends of early Christian martyrs.

The dramatic libretto was written by Thomas Morell (1703‒1784), Handel’s long-standing collaborator since the oratorio Judas Maccabaeus (1747). The story, centred on the martyrs Theodora and the Roman soldier Didymus, is based on texts by the English theologian Robert Boyle and the French dramatist Pierre Corneille. Handel set the subject in 1749 with a highly developed sense of musical dramaturgy, making extensive use of techniques refined over decades of operatic and oratorical composition. The work is instrumented for five solo voices, chorus, and orchestra, the latter enriched by a varied set of wind instruments, including transverse flutes, oboes, bassoon, horns, and trumpet, with timpani. Alongside extended cantabile passages of lyrical inwardness, the score abounds in virtuosic coloratura arias and complex, contrapuntally demanding choruses, through which Handel heightens the dramatic tension of the narrative. Of particular interest, both in terms of instrumentation and style, is the instrumental interlude Symphony of Soft Musick: the spare scoring for two transverse flutes and bassoon creates an unusually delicate timbral blend, offering a moment of refined sound contrast within the large-scale architecture of the oratorio. Equally striking is its stylistic idiom, closely associated with French music of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. This passage thus stands as eloquent evidence of the continued vitality of French musical influence in England well into the mid-eighteenth century – a tradition that had played a decisive role in the revitalisation of English musical life following the Restoration [of the Stuarts].

The premiere took place on 16 March 1750 at the Covent Garden Theatre. Although the oratorio was highly esteemed by connoisseurs and by many of Handel’s supporters, it failed to secure lasting popularity with London audiences. Handel himself famously alluded to this disappointment. When Charles Burney asked him for tickets for two musicians to attend a performance of Messiah, the composer replied: “You would not go to Theodora – there was room enough to dance there, when that was perform!” The lack of success must have been particularly painful, given that Theodora ranked among Handel’s own favourite works.

Even today, Theodora is not among the most frequently performed of Handel’s oratorios, perhaps owing to its considerable duration and relatively expansive orchestration. Nevertheless, it has gradually found a place both on concert programmes and in the recording catalogue. The most recent contribution to the work’s discography is an audio recording by the ensemble Arcangelo under the direction of Jonathan Cohen, released on the Alpha Classics label by Outhere Music (catalogue number ALPHA 1025). One of the immediate strengths of this accomplished recording lies in the casting of the solo roles. The title role is interpreted with notable stylistic assurance by the soprano Louise Alder, whose vocal timbre and technical command are well matched to Handel’s demanding vocal writing and whose performance is particularly persuasive in conveying the contemplative, inward-looking character so typical for early Christian martyrdom narratives. Comparable qualities are evident in the performances of the countertenor Tim Mead (Didymus) and the mezzo-soprano Anna Stéphany (Irene), both of whom excel in passages of reflection and subdued melancholy. In Stéphany’s case, however, the frequent use of glissandi, for exemple in the aria “Defend Her, Heav’n”, can occasionally disrupt the stylistic coherence of the line. By contrast, the tenor Stuart Jackson (Septimus) draws attention above all through his assured handling of demanding coloraturas, thereby contributing effectively to the work’s dramatic propulsion. Much the same applies to the bass Adam Plachetka (Valens). His powerful, vibrato-rich voice stands somewhat apart from the more restrained, chamber-oriented vocal aesthetic of the other soloists; yet once this contrast is accepted, the elemental dramatic energy he brings to the role emerges as a compelling asset.

The orchestra, performing on period-instrument replicas, delivers an equally impressive account. The ensemble sound is tightly integrated and rhythmically incisive, providing a secure foundation for the vocalists while asserting itself convincingly in the instrumental movements. As expected, the structural core of the performance lies with the string band, but the obbligato wind solos – through which Handel adds distinctive colour to selected arias, choruses, and instrumental interludes – are realised with equal finesse. The chorus, impeccably prepared and stylistically alert, likewise plays a crucial role in shaping the overall dramatic and sonic profile of the performance. Taken as a whole, the assessment is decidedly favourable, and Jonathan Cohen’s recording with Arcangelo represents a highly persuasive and musically informed introduction to Handel’s oratorio Theodora.

The Czech original of the text was published on polyharmonie.cz.

Links

• Disc on the website of the British retailer Presto Music.
• Händelova jedinečná Theodora. Recenze Lukáše M. Vytlačila.
  (The Czech original of the present review.)
• Lukáš M. Vytlačil on Wikipedia.
• St Augustine's, Kilburn. The Church where the recording was made, on Wikipedia.