For Theodora, a princess who has converted to Christianity, earthly existence means nothing compared to the promise of eternal salvation. She disobeys the command issued by the Roman Emperor to worship Jupiter, preferring instead to die in the name of freedom of religion.
First performed in London in 1750, Handel's penultimate work was written when he was in his early 60s. The only one of his oratorios based on a Christian subject, Handel and his librettist Thomas Morell moved away from the dramatic potential of the martyr’s legend and instead focused on the protagonist’s inner conflict, thereby creating a contemplative work about religious tolerance, Christian virtues and humanist values. This new approach inspired Handel to write a score of unprecedented musical introspection and he considered it to be his favourite oratorio. The score conjures up every musical colour and nuance to exalt virtue and faith. The composer alternates majestic pages illustrating the violence of the Romans with the compassion of the Christians. For director Stefan Herheim, this makes Theodora a beacon in the history of musical theatre which takes on new relevance against the background of the spiritual vacuum of consumerism and the lack of spiritual direction that characterise our times. The globally celebrated countertenor and Handel specialist Bejun Mehta debuts as a conductor at the MusikTheater an der Wien with the La Folia Barockorchester.
Full performance streamed on OperaVision from 12 April 2024 at 19:00 CET to 12 August 2024 at 12:00 CET: operavision.eu/performance/th...
CAST
Theodora
Jacquelyn Wagner
Didymus
Christopher Lowrey
Septimius
David Portillo
Valens
Evan Hughes
Irene
Julie Boulianne
Orchestra
La Folia Barockorchester
Chorus
Arnold Schoenberg Chor
Music
George Frideric Handel
Text
Thomas Morell
Conductor
Bejun Mehta
Director
Stefan Herheim
Stage Design
Silke Bauer
Costumes
Gesine Völlm
Light
Franz Tscheck
Video
Roman Hagenbrock
Dramaturgy
Kai Weßler
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11 апр 2024
