Theodora

"This is a stupendous, enchanting, engrossing performance. It is difficult to imagine a more perfect presentation of the music. Every member of the cast is in excellent voice and a superb singing actor. The instrumentalists are likewise excellent and everyone works together flawlessly. But... The staging is problematical ... Even more of a problem for U.S. audiences is the idea of a big burly, handsome, masculine man with a high voice ... keep in mind that this is a long, solemn, sombre, depressing show; best watch it in sections and when you're feeling strong".

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"Theodora, with a book by Thomas Morrell, was Handel's favourite among his oratorios ... It is not an opera, but Handel's oratorios can often be staged: they contain duets, choruses, plots and named characters with different voice types, and they have English texts ... Theodora, a religious fundamentalist, plots for the resistance against the Roman occupation ... Soloists of the calibre of Julia Bullock, Joyce DiDonato and Jakub Józef Orliński ... sound like exemplary exponents of Baroque singing. They have attractive tone, agility in swift passages, and superb control in those Largos and Larghettos. They also act out the demanding parts Katie Mitchell requires of them, fully committed to her radical vision ... Harry Bickett conducts the excellent ROH orchestra and the fine chorus with great feeling for the score".

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"Vurdering: E (Editor's choice)" - "The musical provision from the classy team of the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra and Ivor Bolton is exemplary at letting Handel so the talking".

"The performances are generally dramatically real, if not quite in the vocal league Glyndebourne's cast manages at its best ... Outstanding is Bejun Mehta's sweet-toned yet dynamic Didymus. Ivor Bolton secures an efficient musical performance".

Vurdering (performance): 3/5.

Vurdering (picture & sound): 4/5.

"Die Underdogs in der Grossküche und die mafiosen Macker in den Räumen links davon, darum geht es diesmal, wenn Georg Friedrich Händels von ihm am meisten geschätztes Oratorium "Theodora" an der Reihe ist ... Das ist unterhaltsam anzusehen, vor allem aber ganz wunderbar gesungen: Julia Bullocks Theodora ist eine aktive Attentäterin, sopranleidet aber traumschön, übertroffen nur von Joyce DiDonatos mit feinsten Mezzofarben dauertröstender Irene ... Vorzüglich der überschaubare Chor und der swingende Händel-Sound, den Harry Bicket gelassen im Graben entfesselt".

"From the musical point of view, the performance is half-decent but not particularly satisfying. Harry Bicket conducts the Opera House orchestra with a fine sense of pacing and style ... Julia Bullock's Theodora is a compelling and passionate tour de force, even if the characterisations and moods of her music are dictated to by the director's hamstrung concept. Joyce DiDonato's Irene dominates the stage for most of the performance; her emotive singing is as compelling as always".