Handel: Defend her, Heaven (HWV 68)

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Stereo: http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=hROt1yG-tpw&fmt=18

George Frideric Handel (1685 - 1759).

Theodora (HWV 68).

I. Recitative Irene:

The clouds begin to veil the hemisphere,
And heavily bring on the night, the last
Perhaps to us. Oh, that it were the last
To Theodora, ere she fall a prey
To unexampled lust and cruelty.

II. Air Irene:

Defend her, Heav'n! Let angels spread
Their viewless tents around her bed.
Keep her from vile assaults secure,
Still ever calm, and ever pure.
Defend her...

Thanks to tlrox.

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

Theodora (Dawn Upshaw).
Didymus (David Daniels).
Valens (Frode Olsen.
Septimius (Richard Croft).
Irene (Lorraine Hunt).

Dir: William Christie.

Theodora (HWV 68):

Theodora is an oratorio in three acts by George Frideric Handel, set to an English libretto by Thomas Morell. The oratorio concerns the Christian martyr Flavia Maximiana Theodora and her Christian-converted Roman lover, Didymus.

The oratorio has a good variety of arias and choruses. Most of the solo pieces are da capo arias. There are three duets, the last being a sublime piece in which Theodora and Didymus die. The orchestration is simple, as in most of Handel's later works. Handel uses trumpets, horns, and drums in the Roman scenes and flutes are in the prison scene, but some arias are very lightly accompanied which raises them far above the text. 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.

Keywords: 68, Age, Christie, Enlightenment, Handel, Hunt, HWV, Lorraine, of, Orchestra, the, Theodora, William