Last night in Herbst Theatre the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale (PBO) launched its 2022/23 season with a program consisting entirely of George Frideric Handel’s dramatic oratorio in three acts, Theodora (HWV 68). As was observed in the preview article for this event, HWV 68 is Handel’s only dramatic oratorio with an English-language libretto and a Christian subject. Furthermore, the text for that subject does not draw upon the Biblical resources of the Old Testament, the New Testament, or the Apocrypha.
Soprano Julie Roset, singer of the title role in Handel’s Theodora (courtesy of PBO)
Rather, the libretto was based on a 1687 book by Robert Boyle entitled The Martyrdom of Theodora and Didymus. (Yes, the author is that Boyle for whom Boyle’s Law is named and is generally recognized as one of founders of modern chemistry.) Working from that text, Thomas Morell prepared the libretto for Handel, structured as a three-act dramatic narrative. Because the story is so unfamiliar to just about any audience, I shall take the liberty of repeating the synopsis written for the preview article:
The title character of this oratorio (soprano Julie Roset) is a Christian of noble birth. Didymus (countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen) is a Roman soldier that has secretly converted to Christianity and has fallen in love with Theodora. Valens (bass-baritone Dashon Burton) is the Roman governor, who has punished Theodora for not celebrating the festival for the emperor’s birthday. As might be expected, things do not go well for Theodora and Didymus, both of whom sing one last duet before being put to death.
From a narratological point of view, this is a text that is rich in the deep reflections of the characters and extremely limited in action. The downside is that the inner nature of each of those characters is established very early during the first of the three acts, meaning that the remaining two acts offer little more than “more of the same.” Even Handel’s breadth of instrumental combinations is far more limited than what is encountered in most of his oratorios and operas. The same can be said for the vocal work of the major characters, as well as the two secondary roles of Irene (a Christian friend of Theodora sung by mezzo Helen Charlston) and another Roman soldier (and friend to Didymus) Septimus (tenor Thomas Cooley). Even Music Director Richard Egarr’s usual vigorous approach to conducting could not sustain attention over the roughly 160 minutes of duration (including one intermission).
Hopefully, the juices will flow a bit more energetically as the current season progresses.
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