Handel's penultimate English oratorio was one of his least-heard masterpieces until Glyndebourne made it into a stage work in 1996. Those who saw Peter Sellars' production of Theodora with its original American cast or any of its revivals is unlikely to forget the experience. This CD latest addition to Glyndebourne's own archive series was recorded during the initial run, documenting Lorraine Hunt's peerless performance as Irene, Dawn Upshaw's touching Theodora and David Daniels, in his first major role in the UK, as Didymus. The recording isn't ideal – the audience seems ever present, even during the musical numbers, and no attempt seems to have been made to edit them out any of their contributions. Anyone wanting a library version of the oratorio would be better considering one of the studio-made recordings, but as a memento of one of Glyndebourne's finest shows of recent times, it's matchless.