Admin

Organization

Singer

Tenor

Hugo Hymas

Jupiter

Bass

Gianluca Buratto

Cadmus

Soprano

Louise Alder

Semele

Contralto

Carlo Vistoli

Athamas

Mezzo-soprano

Lucile Richardot

Somnus

Juno

Conductor

John Eliot Gardiner

Stage director

Thomas Guthrie

Costume designer

Patricia Hofstede

Lighting designer

Rick Fisher

Emily Owen

Iris

Angela Hicks

Apollo

Angharad Rowlands

Endless Pleasure

Robert Davies

High Priest

English Baroque Soloists

Barcelona

Spain

Palau de la Música Catalana

London

United Kingdom

Act I Overture
Gavotte
Scene 1: Accompagnato: 'Behold! Auspicious flashes rise' (High Priest)
Chorus: 'Lucky omens bless our rites'
Recit, arioso and duet: 'Daughter, obey' (Cadmus, Athamas)
Recitative: 'Ah me!' (Semele)
Aria: 'O Jove! In pity teach me which to choose' (Semele)
Recitative: 'Alas! she yields' (Ino, Athamas)
Quartet: 'Why dost thou thus untimely grieve' (Cadmus, Ino, Athamas, Semele)
Chorus: 'Avert these omens, all ye pow'rs'
Recit: 'Again auspicious flashes rise' (Athamas) - Recit: 'Thy aid, pronubial Juno, Athamas implores!' (Athamas, Semele)
Chorus: 'Cease, cease your vows, 'tis impious to proceed'
Scene 2: Recit: 'Turn, hopeless lover, turn thy eyes (Ino) - Recit: 'She weeps!' (Athamas)
Aria: 'Your tuneful voice my tale would tell' (Athamas)
Recitative: 'Too well I see' (Ino, Athamas)
Duet: 'You've undone me' (Ino, Athamas)
Scene 3: Recit: 'Ah! wreched prince, doom'd to disastrous love!' (Cadmus, Athamas) - Accompagnato: 'Wing'd with our fears and pious hate' (Cadmus)
Scene 4: Chorus: 'Hail Cadmus, hail!'
Aria and Chorus: 'Endless pleasure, endless love' (Augur, Chorus)
Act II Sinfonia
Scene 1: Recitative: 'Iris, impatient of thy stay' (Juno, Iris)
Aria: 'There, from mortal cares retiring' (Iris) - Recitative: 'No more, I'll hear no more' (Juno)
Accompagnato: 'Awake, Saturnia, from thy lehargy!' (Juno) - Recit: 'Hear, might queen, while I recount' (Iris) - Accompagnato: 'With adamant the gates are barr'd' (Iris)
Aria: 'Hence, Iris, hence away' (Juno)
Scene 2: Aria: 'Come, zephyrs, come, while Cupid sings' (Cupid)
Aria: 'O sleep, why dost thou leave me' (Semele)
Scene 3: Recitative: 'Let me not another moment' (Semele)
Aria: 'Lay your doubts and fears aside' (Jupiter)
Recitative: 'You are mortal and require' (Jupiter)
Aria: 'With fond desiring' (Semele)
Chorus: 'How engaging, how endearing'
Recitative: 'Ah, me!' - 'Why sighs my Semele?' (Semele, Jupiter)
Aria: 'I must with speed amuse her' (Jupiter)
Chorus: 'Now Love that everlasting boy invites'
Recitative: 'By my command' (Jupiter, Semele)
Aria: 'Wher'er you walk, cool gales shall fan the glade' (Jupiter)
Scene 4: Recitative: 'Dear sister, how was your passage hither?' (Semele, Ino)
Aria: 'But hark! the heav'nly sphere turns round' (Ino)
Duet: 'Prepare then, ye immortal choir' (Semele, Ino)
Chorus: 'Bless the glad earth with heav'nly lays'
Act III Sinfonia
Scene 1: Accompagnato: 'Somnus, awake' (Juno, Iris)
Aria: 'Leave me, loathsome light' (Somnus)
Recitative: 'Dull God, canst thou attend the water's fall' (Iris, Juno)
Aria: 'More sweet is that name' (Somnus)
Recitative: 'My will obey' (Juno, Somnus)
Duet: 'Obey my will, thy rod resign' (Juno, Somnus)
Scene 2: Aria: 'My racking thoughts by no kind slumbers freed' (Semele)
Scene 3: Recitative: 'Thus shap'd like Ino' (Juno, Semele)
Aria: 'Myself I shall adore' (Semele)
Recit: 'Be wise as you are beautiful' (Juno, Semele) - Accompagnato: 'Conjure him by his oath' (Juno)
Aria: 'Thus let my thanks be paid' (Semele)
Recitative : 'Rich odours fill the fragrant air' (Juno, Semele)
Scene 4: Aria: 'Come to my arms, my lovely fair' (Jupiter)
Recitative: 'O Semele!' (Jupiter) - Aria: 'I ever am granting' (Semele)
Recit: 'Speak, speak your desire' (Jupiter, Semele) - Accompagnato: 'By that tremendous flood, I swear' (Jupiter) - Recit: 'You'll grant what I require?' (Semele, Jupiter) - Accompagnato: 'Then cast off this human shape which you wear' (Semele)
Aria: 'Ah, take heed what you press' (Jupiter)
Aria: 'No, no, I'll take no less' (Semele)
Scene 5: Accompagnato: 'Ah, whither is she gone, unhappy fair?' (Jupiter)
Scene 6: Aria: 'Above measure' (Juno)
Scene 7: Accompagnato: 'Ah me! Too late I now repent' (Semele)
Scene 8: Chorus: 'O terror and astonishment!'
Recitative: 'How I was hence remov'd' (Ino, Cadmus, Athamas)
Aria: 'Despair no more shall wound me' (Athamas)
Recitative: 'See from above the bellying clouds descend' (Cadmus)
Scene 9: Sinfonia
Accompagnato: 'Apollo comes, to relieve your care' (Apollo)
Chorus: 'Happy, happy shall we be'

Alexandra Palace Theatre

Semele Händel

Public

Approved

Handel’s masterpiece Semele, first performed in London in 1744, is not technically an opera per se, but rather an oratorio perfectly suited to the stage, thanks to William Congreve’s brilliantly dramatic libretto that finds its roots in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. 

The work is composed of numerous richly melodic, astonishingly expressive arias and choruses, including “Oh sleep, why dost thou leave me?”, “Where’er you walk”, or the exquisite “Endless pleasure, endless love”! 

In this incredible production, recorded at London’s iconic Alexandra Palace and directed by Thomas Guthrie and his team, the world-renowned maestro John Eliot Gardiner conducts the Monteverdi Choir, the English Baroque Soloists and a fantastic cast of singers specializing in the repertoire, with the remarkable soprano Louise Alder in the title role.

English

Semele by Händel, From (2019/2019), Directed by Thomas Guthrie,, Conductor John Eliot Gardiner, Palau de la Música Catalana, Barcelona, Spain

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew

Programme, About & Synopsis

Photos

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues