Initially a failure when first performed in London in 1750, Theodora has proved to be one of Handel’s most enduring and compassionate masterpieces – a work of introspective depth about the redemptive power of tolerance. Theodora’s determination to die in defence of her religious freedom offers her the promise of eternal salvation. In this acclaimed Viennese production, award-winning stage director Stefan Herheim contrasts Theodora’s self-sacrifice with the lack of spiritual direction of our own times. La Folia Barockorchester and the Arnold Schoenberg Chor are conducted by the acclaimed countertenor and Handel specialist Bejun Mehta.

Also available on Blu-ray Video (NBD0184V)

Ottorino Respighi’s ‘mystery in three episodes’, Maria Egiziaca, started out as a concert triptych. Its intensely dramatic and at times symphonic qualities give it a character somewhere between an oratorio and an opera. Based on the life of Saint Mary of Egypt, the archaic story of Maria Egiziaca revolves around faith seen through its various characters, with Maria’s journey from prostitution to sainthood conveyed as an expressive and eloquently immediate musical fresco. This Teatro La Fenice production of Respighi’s profoundly moving and deeply sensuous stage work was critically acclaimed.

Also available on Blu-ray Video (DYN-58050)