classic story of theodora

8/8/2019 Classic Story of Theodora

1/11

1

OOrraattoorriioo iinn tthhrreeee ppaarrttss

LLiibbrreettttoo bbyy TThhoommaass MMoorreellll

PPrreemmiieerree:: RRooyyaall OOppeerraa HHoouussee,,

CCoovveenntt GGaarrddeenn,, 1166tthh MMaarrcchh 11775500

TT hh ee oo dd oo rr aa

and generously funded by the Esme Fairbairn Foundation


2/11

2

This pack contains information about the basic storyl ineand characters ofTThheeooddoorraa - it would be useful for yourstudents to know something of this before the workshop.The entire pack wil l not take long to read.

PP rr ee pp aa rr ii nn gg ffoo rr aa ww oo rr kkss hh oo pp



3/11

3



4/11

4

Determined to destroy anyone who willnot worship the Roman gods.Bass

Young Roman soldierSecretly a Christian, but afraid to admitthis even to his closest friend.

Counter-tenor

Roman Officer, friend and formercomrade-in-arms of DidymusHates the oppression of the Christians,but is afraid to speak out or act againstit. A good, spiritual man, he stillworships the Roman gods.

Tenor

Young noblewoman of Antioch,(Christian)Has a devout faith in God and is unafraidof death. She prizes her untaintedreputation as a virgin.Soprano

Leader of the Christians, friend andconfidante of TheodoraHelps the Christians find the strength tocarry on in a time of great danger andpersecution.Mezzo-soprano

PPrreessiiddeenntt ooffAAnnttiioocchh ((RRoommaann))

DDiiddyymmuuss

TThheeooddoorraa

CChhoorruuss ooffCChhrriissttiiaannss

IIrreennee

SSeeppttiimmiiuuss

CChhoorruuss ooffRRoommaannss



5/11

5

OOvveerrvviieeww

Handels oratorio TThheeooddoorraa is an exploration of theuniversal themes of love, devotion and sacrifice andasks the question How far would you be will ing to gofor what you believe?

The brave and unyielding young noblewoman Theodora

is arrested by the Roman guard in a violent crack downon Christianity. Her captor President Valens tells herthat if she will not worship the Roman gods, she will beraped daily by his Royal Guard. Disgusted by thispunishment, the Roman Officer Septimius allows hisfriend and colleague Didymus access to t he captive.Didymus, though a Roman soldier, is a Christian andbravely gives Theodora his uniform so t hat she canescape. As a result of this defiant gesture, Didymus

will be executed. When Theodora hears that herpunishment when captured will now be death, sheleaves her Christian friends and gives herself up to theRomans. Septimius pleads with his commanding officerto be lenient, but Valens is resolute nothing will swayhim and the martyrs must die. In a heart-wrenchingclose, the couple are executed, inspiring the watchingRoman hoards to reflect How strange their Ends, Andyet how glorious!



6/11

6

SSyynnooppssii ss

PPaarrtt OOnnee SScceennee II

Valens, the Roman President of Antioch, announces that he wi ll brutally punishall those who refuse to worship the Roman gods on the emperors birthday .Didymus, one of Valens guards, protests that faith cannot be forced and that amore tolerant approach might win friends to Valens regime. The Presidentdemands a hard-line enforcement of the policy and lists th e tortures to beinfl icted on those who refuse the new edict. The idea of the agony of thepersecuted gives pleasure to the Roman c rowds.

SScceennee II IIDidymus is one of those left with the task of enforcing these statues. Heprotests Ought we not to leave the free-born Mind of Man stil l ever free?

His thoughts are voiced in the courageou s aria The capturd soul defies thesword. His friend, former comrade-in-arms and superior officer, Septimius,against his better judgement, does not dar e to defy Roman law and can onlyhope that others will feel pity in their h earts for those he is about topersecute.

SScceenneess II II II aanndd IIVVThe Christians secretly meet. Theodora, a young woman of noble birth, standsbefore the assembly and rejects the world of money and privilege. Irene, oneof the leaders of the movement, says that virtue can never come from material

prosperity, saying that True happiness is only found where Grace and Truthand Love abound. News arrives of the edict of persecution. Irene keeps thegroup calm saying that the Lord will prot ect them as He always does.

SScceennee VVThe Romans break up the Christian meeting. Septimius is sickened by what hesees as the Christians self-destructive folly in refusin g to obey the Romanrites. Theodora defies him. Septimius says that she is to be sentences to a l ifeof prostitution so that her famous purity can be defiled every day. As she isled away, she asks that angels take h er to Heaven rather than suffer this fate.

SScceenneess VVII aanndd VVII II Didymus arrives too late but vows to res cue Theodora, declaring that he willsave her or die in the attempt. The Christians pray for Didymus, saying that hewill either have happiness with Theodora or will have eternal bliss in Heaven.

PPaarrtt TTwwooSScceennee II The Romans Celebrate the Emperors birthday with choruses in praise of Flora,the Queen of summer, Venus, the Queen of Love and Jove, who controls theskies. President Valens praises Caesars glory and offers Theodora one lastchance to repent: she can worship the Roman gods or be ra ped by the Romanguards.



7/11

7


SScceennee II II Alone in her prison cell , Theo dora prays for the night to hide her from view.She dreams of going to Heaven like a silv er dove soaring through the air.

SScceennee II II II Didymus finally confesses to Septimius that he is a Christian and lovesTheodora. Septimius does not want to know, fearing for his own safety whileknowing that the sentence passed on Theodora is unjust even by Romanstandards. Didymus convinces Septimius to let him past the guards and intoTheodoras cell . Septimius agrees. Didymus tells Septimius that he has donethe right thing.

SScceennee IIVV

In the middle of the night, Irene prays for Theodoras safety: Keep her fromVile Assaults secure.

SScceennee VVDidymus enters Theodoras cell . He wonders at her beauty as she liesentranced in prayer. His presence startles her but he reveals himself to be afriend. Theodora begs him to kil l her and save her from Valens sentence.Didymus refuses, proposing that she shou ld don his Roman uniform and escape,leaving him in the cell . Before she leaves, they sing together of their sharedlove for each other and for God and their sadness at p arting: I hope again tomeet on earth but sure shall meet in Heaven.

SScceennee VVII At this same moment, Irene Leads the Christians in a chorus tell ing the story ofthe New Testament miracle of the Widow of Nain. Jesus sees a funeralprocession bearing a young mans dead body. Jesus raises the youth from thedead and the widow, the young mans mother, bows deeply in gratit ude andtakes her now-living son away.

PPaarrtt TThhrreeeeSScceennee IIAll day and night, even through earthquak es and thunder, Irene and herfollowers faith will remain unshaken: they sing and pray.

SScceenneess II II aanndd II II II Theodora returns in her disguise. Irene at f irst mistakes her for Didymus.Theodora now regrets leaving the too genrous youth to die for the sake ofher purity and reputation. The Christians join her in praying for Didymussafety. A message arrives, saying that Didymus is l ikely to be sentenced todeath by Valens for his part in Theodoras escape. Valens has also decided torevoke the sentence of prostitution on Theodora: she is to die as well .Suddenly joyful since she has no f ear of death, Theodora leaves to give her self

up to the Romans and save Didymus. Irene gradually understands, like miststhe rising sun, the glory of Theodoras actions.


8/11

8

SScceenneess IIVV ,, VV aanndd VVII Didymus speaks with passion in his own defence, accusing Valens of cruelty.Valens condemns him to death. Theodora interrupts to offer her life in

return for Didymus release. Septimius finds the courage to protest publicly,demanding Let justice for the Hero plead and Pity save the Fair. Valensshows no mercy. Theodora and Didymus are both will ing to die for the other.The Roman public is shocked and moved by this: How strange their s ends andyet how glorious! Where Virtue it s own i nnocence denies and for theVanquishd the glad Victor dies. Valens condemns them both since they bothplead guilty. As they are executed, Didymus and Theodora sing a rapturousduet of the joys that await them in Heaven: golden thrones, starr y crownsare the triumphs of the blest.

SScceennee VVII II Irene and those left behind pry that equal f ire may inflame their souls.



9/11

9

He was in his person a large made and very port ly man. His gait , which was

ever sauntering, was rather ungraceful , as it has in somewhat of that rockingmotion, which dist inguishes those whose legs are bowed.

Sir John Hawkins , A General History o f the Sc ience and Pract ice of Music , 1776

G.F. Handel was the consummate, 18th-century traveller, artiste, andentrepreneur. He was an independent and strong-willed individual, and althoughhe was approached several t imes by roy al patrons to become their courtcomposer, Handel was hesitant to settle down professi onally until he wasoffered a position he felt he deserved.

He suffered bouts of anxiety and depression and possibly strokes. During thelater years of his l i fe, he experienced progressively debilitating cataracts theensuing operations to restore his vision left him completely blind. However,despite this adversity, he maintaine d a keen sense of humour and was wellknown for his charitable disposition.

Born in Halle, Germany, Handel grew up under the watchful eye s of his parents;while his mother nurtured his musical gifts, Handel's father tried to dissuade himfrom pursuing such a dubious occupation. Following brief, unsuccessful studies

at the local university, the young Handel tr avelled to Hamburg where he joinedHamburg Opera Orchestra and whilst there wrote four operas. In 1706 he leftHamburg and travelled to Italy. In 1707, Rodr igo, his f irst Italian opera, wasproduced in Florence. A year later, he wrote his f irst oratorio La resurrazione.He left the country a fully equipped dramatic composer an d in 1710 took hisskil ls north to London. Here he was met with a warm reception. Italian operawas becoming fashionable and his musi c had already been heard in a popularshow at the Haymarket.

In 1719 he was named Master of the Orchestra by the Royal Academy of Music.In 1728 when the Academy collapsed, Handel took over management of the

Second Academy. In 1733 a rival company, The Opera of the Nobility, wasfounded. For the next four years, the two companies went hea d to head forcingHandel to diversify: putting on varied seasons of opera, dance and oratorio.

Up until 1738, Handel had written just 5 orator ios but when repeated failures,complicated by a severe il lness, compell ed the abandonment of his operaticventures Handel turned back to the composition of oratorio ; between 1738-44,he wrote10. In February 1741 he gave his f inal opera performance. In 1743 hebegan his regular Lent oratorio seasons at Covent Garden from. In 1745,Handel met Thomas Morell, who was to provide the text for Theodora and hisremaining oratorios. Theodora was first performed in 1750, one year before hisfinal oratorio, Jeptha , was premiered. By age 68, he was completely blind. Hedied aged 74 and was buried with high honours in Westmi nster Abbey.

GGeeoorrggee FFrreeddeerr iicc HHaannddeell((bb .. HHaa ll ll ee aann ddeerr SSaa ll ll ee ,, GGeerrmmaannyy,, FFeebbrruuaarryy 2233 11668855 ;; dd .. LLoonnddoonn,, AApprrii ll 1144 ,,



10/11

10

WWhhyy tthhee cchhaannggee ttoo oorraattoorriioo??Handels decision to turn his back on ope ra and focus on oratorio is multi-faceted. In order to better understand, it is important to point out the many

similarit ies that exist between the two forms. Both afforded Handel theopportunity to write dramatic music for s trong narratives and both used anorchestra, soloists and a chorus. However, it seems that the ways in whichoratorio is different from opera made it more attr active to Handel

Oratorio is traditionally presented as a concert. By not staging the works,Handel was able to write many more choral interlu des without worrying toomuch about their dramatic plausibil ity. He could also write more ambitiousmusic for the chorus who did not have to memorise their parts but could singfrom their scores. The religious and mythical themes of oratorio were of just asmuch interest to Handel as were the secular themes of opera. Aside from

artistic concerns, oratorio was much cheaper to realise than opera. Firstly,there was no set or costume and the singers for or atorio charged more modestfees than the superstar singers of the ope ra of the 18 t h Century.

Oratorios greatest sell ing point f or audiences was that they were sung inEnglish. Italian opera had been the reserve of an elite, but the rise of the middleclass had created a new audience. Stories taken from the Bible would have beenwell known by the Protestant middle classes, man y of who were keen amateurchoral singers.

TThheeooddoorraaTheodora (and The Messiah) are Handels only Christian oratorio. The librettist,Morell, was a cleric from Cambridge who se source for the text was TheMartyrdom ofTheodora and of Didymus (1687) by the physicist Robert Boyle.

Handel began work at the end of June 1749 and within a month had completedthe score. The first performance was at Covent Garden in March 1750 but therun of three nights was very poorly attended. It seems that the spiritualqualit ies of the piece were far above the heads of an audience who revelled inthe warlike din of Handels other more popular oratori os Judas Macc abaeus andSamson . However, fellow musicians appreciated the greatness of the work, one

said the generality of the world have ear s and hear not.

Handels own explanation for the low turn out was The Jews will not comebecause it is a Christian story an d the Ladies will not come because it is avirtuous one. But he saw the benefits that the acoustics of an emptyauditorium could offer, saying Never mi nd; the music will sound the better.

The work had only one more revival in Handels l i fet ime. It s seems that thispublic failure did not diminish the work in Handels eyes. According to Morell,

When I once asked [Handel], whether he did not look on the GrandChorus in the Messiah as his Master Piece ? No says he I think the chorusat the end of the second part in Theodora far beyond it.



11/11

11


classic story of theodora

Documents