110th Good Friday Concerts of the Schaffhausen Oratorio Choir 2024

George Frideric Handel Theodora Oratorio (1749) Handel's oratorio Theodora (1749) is an outstandingly beautiful work with an unusual theme from his late creative period, the tragic love story of a couple who converted to Christianity in ancient Rome. It ends with the death of Theodora and her lover Didymus and pays tribute to the fate of early Christian martyrs. It was one of Handel's favorite oratorios despite its initial lack of success. The composer himself ranked the final chorus of the second act, "He saw the lovely youth", far above the "Hallelujah" of his famous Messiah. Theodora (HWV 68) is a dramatic oratorio in three acts. The librettist Thomas Morell was inspired by "The Martyrdom of Theodora and of Didymus (1687)" by Robert Boyle. In the 4th century AD, Valens, the Roman governor of Antioch, issues a decree that all citizens should make a sacrifice to Venus, the Roman goddess of love, in honor of Emperor Diocletian's birthday. Didymus, a soldier and lover of Theodora who had secretly converted to Christianity, asked that citizens whose conscience prevented them from sacrificing to pagan gods be spared punishment. Valens refuses. Theodora and her friend Irene celebrate a private service instead of attending the emperor's birthday festival. Theodora expects to be sentenced to death, but instead she is forced into prostitution in the temple of Venus. Didymus learns of the cruel punishment and offers himself as a substitute sacrifice by swapping clothes with Theodora in the temple / brothel. Theodora is released, but she is plagued by terrible pangs of conscience. The oratorio ends tragically with the death penalty for both of them. In Handel's day, Theodora was a failure; the premiere on March 16, 1750 at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, was followed by only two more performances. Connoisseurs, however, appreciated the unusual work from the very beginning. Lord Shaftesbury, an admirer of Handel, wrote to a friend: "I cannot finish a letter and forget Theodora. I have heard the work three times and dare say it is as accomplished, beautiful and well-crafted a composition as Handel ever produced." Today, Theodora is recognized as a masterpiece, usually performed in concert, but sometimes also staged. Two important opera productions should be mentioned, in 1996 in Glyndebourne, England, and in 2009 at the Salzburg Festival.


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