Theodora (Handel)
Theodora is a dramatic oratorio in three acts by George Frideric Handel, set to an English libretto by Thomas Morell. The oratorio concerns the Christian martyr Theodora and her Christian-converted Roman lover, Didymus. It had its first performance at Covent Garden Theatre on 16 March 1750.
Not popular with audiences in Handel's day, Theodora is now recognised as a masterpiece and is sometimes fully staged as an opera.
Context, analysis, and performance history
Handel wrote Theodora during his last period of composition. He was sixty-four years old when he began working on it in June 1749. He had written the oratorios Solomon and Susanna the previous year. Theodora would be his penultimate oratorio.Theodora differs from the former two oratorios because it is a tragedy, ending in the death of the heroine and her converted lover. It is also Handel's only dramatic oratorio in English on a Christian subject.
Thomas Morell had worked with Handel before on several oratorios. He and Handel were good friends; the composer left the librettist 200 pounds in his will. Morell's source for the libretto was The Martyrdom of Theodora and of Didymus by Robert Boyle, a prominent scientist and theologian. He also borrowed from Corneille's Théodore, Vierge et Martyre.
Handel finished the oratorio on 31 July 1749, and its premiere was on 16 March 1750. Theodora was a failure with the public and only played three times. There are at least two explanations for this. First, the theme of the persecution and martyrdom of a Christian saint may have been too removed from the Old Testament narratives that Londoners had become accustomed to from Handel's dramatic oratorios. Second, an earthquake that transpired about a week before the premiere had caused some of Handel's usual patrons to flee the city. It was the least performed of all his oratorios, being revived only once in 1755.
Some of Handel's patrons appreciated the work, however. Lord Shaftesbury wrote in a letter to a friend
"I can't conclude a letter and forget "Theodora". I have heard the work three times and will venture to pronounce it as finished, beautiful and labour'd a composition as ever Handel made. To my knowledge, this took him up a great while in composing. The Town don't like it at all, but... several excellent musicians think as I do."
One of Handel's most loyal and enthusiastic supporters, Mary Delany, wrote to her sister Ann saying "Don't you remember our snug enjoyment of "Theodora?" Her sister replied "Surely "Theodora" will have justice at last, if it was to be again performed, but the generality of the world have ears and hear not".
There are two surviving quotes of Handel about Theodora. Morell quotes Handel as saying "The Jews will not come to it because it is a Christian story; and the ladies will not come because it is a virtuous one." Handel's colleague Burney took note when two musicians asked for free tickets for Messiah and Handel responded "Oh your servant, meine Herren! you are damnable dainty! you would not go to Theodora - there was room enough to dance there, when that was perform"!
Theodora was actually Handel's favorite of his oratorios. The composer himself ranked the final chorus of Act II, "He saw the lovely youth," "far beyond" "Hallelujah" in Messiah.
It has sometimes been staged as an opera, as in 1996 Glyndebourne and 2009 Salzburg Festival productions. Both of them were recorded and released as DVD.
The original libretto included an extra scene in which Septimius converted to Christianity himself, but it was never set by Handel, though it was printed. The second scene in Act 2 was also subject to several revisions by Handel.
Dramatis personae
Synopsis
Act 1
The 4th century AD. Valens, the Roman governor of Antioch, issues a decree that in honour of Diocletian's birthday all citizens will offer sacrifice to Venus, the Roman goddess of love, and Flora, a fertility goddess of the spring, on pain of death, and puts Septimius in charge of enforcing this.Didymus, a soldier secretly converted to Christianity, asks that citizens whose consciences prevent them making sacrifices to idols be spared punishment, which Valens dismisses. Septimius suspects Didymus is a Christian and affirms his own loyalty to the law although he pities those who will be condemned to die by the decree and wishes he could be allowed to extend mercy to them.
Theodora, a nobly-born Christian and her friend Irene are worshipping with their fellow believers in private rather than joining in the festival for the emperor's birthday when a messenger brings news of Valens' decree. Septimius comes to arrest them - Theodora expects to be put to death but is informed that instead she has been sentenced to serve as a prostitute in the temple of Venus. Theodora would much have preferred to die, but is led away to the temple. Irene informs Didymus who goes in the hope of either rescuing her or dying with her. The first Act closes with a chorus of Christians praying for the mission's success.
Act 2
At the start of the second Act the festival in honour of the emperor and the goddesses is being enjoyed by the pagans. Valens sends Septimius to tell Theodora that if she doesn't join in with the festival by the end of the day, he will send his guards to rape her. The crowd expresses their satisfaction at this sentence. In the temple of Venus which serves as a brothel, Theodora is frightened, but her mood changes as she contemplates the afterlife. Didymus confesses to his friend and superior officer Septimius that he is a Christian and appeals to the other man's sense of decency. Septimius allows Didymus to visit Theodora. At first Theodora appeals to Didymus to kill her and put an end to her suffering, but instead Didymus persuades her to conceal her identity by putting on his helmet and his uniform and escaping, leaving Didymus in her place. Back at their hideout, Irene and the Christians recall the miracle of The Widow of Nain and hope that, should the lovers die, they will find a new life in heaven.Act 3
As the third part opens the Christians celebrate Theodora's safe return. However she feels guilty that she endangered Didymus's life in order to save her own. A messenger informs them Didymus has been captured and that Valens has changed Theodora's punishment to death. Theodora goes to offer herself in Didymus' place, despite the protests of her faithful friend Irene. As Valens sentences Didymus to be executed, Theodora enters demanding that she die and Didymus be saved. Both Didymus and Theodora argue that they should die in place of the other. Septimius is moved by this, and pleads for clemency. Valens, however, condemns both Didymus and Theodora to death and they sing a duet to their immortality.Music and musical characterisation
The oratorio is scored for 2 sections of violins, violas, cellos, double basses, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 1 contrabassoon, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, harpsichord, and organ. A harpsichord and violoncello play the continuo.Handel's music gives the choruses of Roman pagans, presented in the libretto as evil people gloating over the torture of Christians, "immense verve and charm". This is contrasted with the quiet, deep conviction of the music for the choruses of Christians. The chorus "He saw the lovely youth", Handel's favorite of all the choruses he wrote, depicts Jesus' raising from the dead of the widow's son in Luke, chapter 7. Beginning with slow and solemn chromatic figures in a minor key, the music switches to major as the youth returns to life and ends with joy as the boy is restored to his mother.
The work is notable for many passages of exalted and radiant beauty as well as for skilled characterisation through music. There are three duets, the last being a sublime piece in which Theodora and Didymus die.
Handel uses trumpets, horns, and drums in the Roman scenes. Flutes are introduced in the prison scene, but some arias are very lightly accompanied which raises them far above the text.
List of musical numbers
;Act OneScene 3 Theodora, with the Christians
Scene 4 Enter Messenger
Scene 5 Enter Septimius
Scene 6 Enter Didymus
Scene 7
;Act Two
;Act Three
Recordings
Audio recordings
| Year | Cast Theodora, Didymus, Irene, Septimius, Valens | Conductor, orchestra and chorus | Label |
| 1969 | Heather Harper, Maureen Forrester, Maureen Lehane, Alexander Young, John Lawrenson | Johannes Somary, English Chamber Orchestra, Amor Artis Chorale | Vanguard Classics Cat: B0000254IV |
| 1990 | Roberta Alexander, Jochen Kowalski, Jard van Nes, Hans Peter Blochwitz, Anton Scharinger | Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Concentus musicus Wien, Arnold Schoenberg Chor | Teldec Das Alte Werk Cat: 2564 69056-4 |
| 1992 | Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Drew Minter, Jennifer Lane, Jeffrey Thomas, David Thomas | Nicholas McGegan, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, U. C. Berkeley Chamber Chorus | Harmonia Mundi Cat: HMU907060.62 |
| 1996 | Dawn Upshaw, David Daniels, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Richard Croft, Frode Olsen | William Christie, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Glyndebourne Festival Chorus | Glyndebourne CD |
| 2000 | Susan Gritton, Robin Blaze, Susan Bickley, Paul Agnew, Neal Davies | Paul McCreesh, Gabrieli Players, Gabrieli Consort | Archiv Cat: 0289 469 0612 |
| 2003 | Sophie Daneman, David Taylor, Juliette Galstian, Richard Croft, Nathan Berg | William Christie, Les Arts Florissants, Les Arts Florissants | Erato Cat: 0809274318121 |
| 2012 | Christina Wieland, Franz Vitzthum, Diana Schmid, Knut Schoch, Klaus Mertens | Joachim Carlos Martini, Frankfurt Baroque Orchestra, Junge Kantorei | Naxos Cat: 8.572700-02 |