Handel: Semele

Naxos: 8570431-33

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Handel: Semele

Label:

Naxos

Catalogue No:

8570431-33
(8.570431-33)

Discs:

3

Release date:

30th June 2008

Barcode:

0747313043170

Length:

3 hours 0 minutes

Medium:

CD (download also available)

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Handel: Semele

Secular Oratorio in Three Acts


Elisabeth Scholl (Semele), Julla Schmidt (Iris), Ralf Popken (Athamas), Britta Schwarz (Ino), Annette Markert (Juno), Knut Schoch (Apollo), Klaus Mertens (Cadmus/Somnus/Priest)

Junge Kantorei & Frankfurt Baroque Orchestra, Joachim Carlos Martini

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Handel’s oratorio Semele was composed in 1743 and tells of a beautiful mortal (Semele), whose short but spectacular love affair with Jupiter, King of the Gods, comes to a terrifying end in consequence of both her own vanity and the scheming of Jupiter’s insanely jealous wife Juno. Written at the peak of Handel’s powers, it is crammed with his most sparkling and dramatic music: spectacular orchestral numbers and powerful choruses combine with heart-stopping arias, including the popular Where’er you walk and the coloratura showpiece Myself I shall adore.

George Frideric Handel: Semele, HWV 58

playAct I: Overture

playAct I: Gavotte

playAct I: Accompagnato: Behold! Auspicious flashes rise (Chief Priest)

playAct I: Lucky omens bless our rites (Chorus of Priests and Augurs)

playAct I: Recitative and Arioso: Daughter, obey, Hear and obey! (Cadmus, Athamas)

playAct I: Accompagnato and Aria: Ah me! What refuge now is left me? (Semele)

playAct I: Aria: The morning lark to mine accords his note (Semele)

playAct I: Aria: See, she blushing turns her eyes (Ino)

playAct I: Recitative: Alas! She yields, and has undone me! (Ino, Athamas, Semele)

playAct I: Quartet: Why dost thou thus untimely grieve (Cadmus, Ino, Athamas, Semele)

playAct I: Avert these omens, all ye pow'rs! (Chorus of Priests and Augurs)

playAct I: Accompagnato: Again auspicious flashes rise (Cadmus)

playAct I: Recitative: Thy aid, pronubial Juno, Athamas implores! (Athamas, Semele)

playAct I: Cease, cease your vows, 'tis impious to proceed (Chorus of Priests and Augurs)

playAct I: Recitative: O Athamas, what torture hast thou borne! (Athamas)

playAct I: Aria: Turn, hopeless lover, turn thy eye (Ino)

playAct I: Recitative: She weeps! (Athamas)

playAct I: Aria: Your tuneful voice my tale would tell (Athamas)

playAct I: Recitative: Too well I see, Thou wilt not understand me (Ino, Athamas)

playAct I: Duet: You've undone me (Ino, Athamas)

playAct I: Recitative and Accompagnato: Ah, wretched prince, doom'd to disastrous love! (Cadmus, Athamas, Ino)

playAct I: Hail, Cadmus, hail! Jove salutes the Theban King (Chorus of Priests and Augurs)

playAct I: Aria: Endless pleasure, endless love (Semele)

playAct I: Endless pleasure, endless love (Chorus of Love and Zephyrs)

playAct II: Symphony

playAct II: Recitative: Iris, impatient of thy stay (Juno, Iris)

playAct II: Aria: There, from mortal cares retiring (Iris)

playAct II: Recitative and Accompagnato: No more, I'll hear no more! (Juno, Iris)

playAct II: Aria: Hence, Iris, hence away! (Juno)

playAct II: Aria: Come, Zephyrs, come (Cupid)

playAct II: Aria: O sleep, why dost thou leave me? (Semele)

playAct II: Recitative: Let me not another moment bear the pangs of absence (Semele)

playAct II: Aria: Lay your doubts and fears aside (Jupiter)

playAct II: Recitative: You are mortal and require time to rest (Jupiter)

playAct II: Aria: With fond desiring (Semele)

playAct II: How engaging, how endearing (Chorus of Loves and Zephyrs)

playAct II: Recitative: Ah me! (Semele, Jupiter)

playAct II: Aria: I must with speed amuse her (Jupiter)

playAct II: Now Love, that everlasting boy (Chorus of Loves and Zephyrs)

playAct II: Recitative: By my command now (Jupiter, Semele)

playAct II: Aria: Where'er you walk (Jupiter)

playAct II: Recitative: Dear sister, how was your passage hither? (Semele, Ino)

playAct II: Aria: But hark! (Ino)

playAct II: Accompagnato and Arioso: Prepare then, ye immortal choir (Ino, Semele)

playAct II: Bless the glad earth with heav'nly lays (Chorus of Nymphs and Swains)

playAct III: Symphony

playAct III: Accompagnato: Somnus, awake! (Juno, Iris)

playAct III: Aria: Leave me, loathsome light! (Somnus)

playAct III: Recitative: Dull God, canst thou attend the water's fall (Iris, Juno)

playAct III: Aria: More sweet is that name (Somnus)

playAct III: Recitative: My will obey (Juno, Somnus)

playAct III: Duet: Obey my will (Juno, Somnus)

playAct III: Aria: My racking thoughts by no kind slumbers freed (Semele)

playAct III: Recitative: Thus shap'd like Ino (Juno, Semele)

playAct III: Accompagnato: Behold in this mirror (Juno)

playAct III: Recitative: O ecstasy of happiness! (Semele)

playAct III: Aria: Myself I shall adore (Semele)

playAct III: Recitative: Be wise, as you are beautiful (Juno, Semele)

playAct III: Accompagnato: Conjure him by his oath (Juno)

playAct III: Aria: Thus let my thanks be pay'd (Semele)

playAct III: Recitative: Rich odours fill the fragrant air (Juno, Semele)

playAct III: Aria: Come to my arms, my lovely fair (Jupiter)

playAct III: Recitative: O Semele! Why art thou thus insensible? (Jupiter, Semele)

playAct III: Recitative: Speak, speak your desire (Jupiter, Semele)

playAct III: Aria: Ah! Take heed what you press! (Jupiter)

playAct III: Aria: No, no, I'll take no less (Semele)

playAct III: Recitative: Ah, whither is she gone! (Jupiter)

playAct III: Aria: Above measure is the pleasure (Juno)

playAct III: Recitative: Ah me! Too late I now repent (Semele)

playAct III: Recitative: Of my ill-boding dream (Ino)

playAct III: Chorus: Oh, terror and astonishment! (Chorus of Priests)

playAct III: Recitative: How I was hence remov'd (Ino, Cadmus, Athamas)

playAct III: Aria: Despair no more shall wound me (Athamas)

playAct III: Recitative: See from above the bellying clouds descend (Cadmus)

playAct III: Symphony

playAct III: Recitative: Apollo comes, to relieve your care (Apollo)

playAct III: Happy, happy shall we be (Chorus)

Penguin Guide

2010

***

“There are many pleasures to be had...given a generally enjoyable performance, stylishly accompanied by the excellent Frankfurt Baroque Orchestra...Elisabeth Scholl's dashing coloratura in the name role certainly carries the part, and she is delightful in her portrayal of the morning lark...She gets appealing support from the other female participants...Knut Schoch has a fine, resonant tenor voice as Jupiter”

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