I'm doing this song for my sophomore proficiency exam and I've been listening to a lot of different recordings of this song to decide on some embellishments. My favorite recording is by Lorraine Hunt with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra conducted by Nicholas McGegan.
This song is from Theodora Act I, scene 5. This is an oratorio made up almost entirely of loosely connected arias to tell a serious story, which made it unpopular during its time. At this point in the opera, Theodora has been imprisoned for being a Christian and the government is going to make an example out of her by forcing her to be a prostitute before killing her. Now, I know what you're thinking, but this is a very GOOD SONG!!! In the song Theodora pleads with the angels to take her now to her death so she does not have to ruin herself in the eyes of the Lord. She wants to die for her God as his humble and faithful servant and not as a prostitute.
It is your typical da capo aria of the time. The A section is pleading with the angels in a sweet melody and constant repitition of "take, oh, take me!" in a Mi-Re-Fa-Mi pattern throughout. The B section is where she gets angry and almost impatient with the angels and says "Speed to your own courts my flight, clad in robes of virgin white." There is some striking chromaticism in the words "virgin white" because of the irony that most likely she will not be a virgin when she dies. (Eventually she is murdered during a rescue attempt by her "boyfriend")
Well, that's enough depressing stories for your mid-week. But I do HIGHLY suggest looking up this song. It's just beautiful. One of Handel's most unappreciated works if you ask me!
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Thank you so much! This helped ALOT! I am doing this song in my first year of university and I loved this song the minute I heard it, but I didn't very know what i was saying! This is very helpful! Thanks again!
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