GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL
(1685-1759)
Semele, HWV 58
169:35
first complete recording on period instruments
A musical theatrical entertainment in three acts
Based on a libretto by William Congreve
Edited by Clifford Bartlett
1
No. 1. Ouverture. [ ]
2:32
2
Allegro - Adagio -
3:41
3
Gavotte
1:30
Act I
Scene 1
4
No. 2. Cadmus: 'Behold! auspicious flashes rise!'
1:23
5
No. 3. Chorus: 'Lucky omens bless our rites'
3:15
6
No. 4. Cadmus: 'Daughter, obey'
0:55
7
No. 5. Semele: 'Ah me! What refuge now is left me?'
2:43
8
No. 6. Semele: 'The morning lark to mine accords his note'
7:25
9
No. 7. Athamus: 'See, she blushing turns her eyes'
0:16
10
No. 8. Athamus: 'Hymen, haste, thy torch prepare'
4:46
11
No. 9. Ino: 'Alas! she yields'
0:42
12
No. 10. Cadmus: 'Why does thou thus untimely grieve'
3:02
13
No. 11. Chorus: 'Avert those omens, all ye pow'rs!'
2:00
14
No. 12. Cadmus: 'Again auspicious flashes rise'
0:38
15
No. 13. Athamus: 'Thy aid, pronubial Juno, Athamus implores'
0:14
16
No. 14. Chorus: 'Cease, cease your vows, 'tis impious to proceed'
0:32
Scene 2
17
No. 15. Athamus: 'O Athamus, what torture hast thou borne!'
0:29
18
No. 16. Ino: 'Turn, hopeless lover, turn thy eyes'
8:01
19
No. 17. Athamus: 'She weeps! The gentle maid, in tender pity'
0:18
20
No. 18. Athamus: 'Your tuneful voice my tale would tell'
3:50
21
No. 19. Ino: 'Too well I see'
0:43
22
No. 20. Ino: 'You've undone me'
2:26
Scene 3
23
No. 21. Cadmus: 'Ah, wretched Prince, doom'd to disastrous love!' -
2:08
Scene 4
Cadmus: 'See, see, Jove's Priests and holy Augurs come'
24
No. 22. Chorus: 'Hail, Cadmus, hail! Jove salutes the Theban King'
1:30
25
No. 23. Semele: 'Endless pleasure, endless love'
4:50
Act II
26
No. 24. Sinfonia. Presto
1:34
Scene 1
27
No. 25. June: 'Iris, impatient of thy stay'
0:47
28
No. 26. Iris: 'There, from mortal cares retiring'
3:39
29
No. 27. Juno: 'No more - I'll hear no more'
2:04
30
No. 28. Juno: 'Hence, Iris, hence away'
3:50
Scene 2
31
No. 30. Semele: 'O sleep, why dost thou leave me?'
2:54
Scene 3
32
No. 31. Semele: 'Let me not another moment'
0:19
33
No. 32. Jupiter: 'Lay your doubts and fears aside'
3:06
34
No. 33. Jupiter: 'You are mortal, and require'
0:17
35
No. 34. Semele: 'With fond desiring'
3:21
36
No. 35. Chorus: 'How engaging, how endearing'
3:04
37
No. 36. Semele: 'Ah me!' -
1:07
Jupiter: 'Why sighs my Semele?'
38
No. 37. Jupiter: 'I must with speed amuse her'
3:56
39
No. 38. Chorus: 'Now Love that everlasting boy invites'
2:21
40
No. 39. Jupiter: 'By my command'
1:03
41
No. 40. Jupiter: 'Where'er you walk, cool gales shall fan the glade'
4:56
Scene 4
42
No. 41. Semele: 'Dear sister, how was your passage hither?'
0:39
43
No. 42. Ino: 'But hark! the heav'nly sphere turns round'
2:26
44
No. 43. Ino and Semele: 'Prepare then, ye immortal choir'
1:57
45
No. 44. Chorus: 'Bless the glad earth with heav'nly lays'
2:42
Act III
46
No. 45. [Sinfonia.] Larghetto e piano per tutto
1:28
Scene 1
47
No. 46. Juno: 'Somnus, awake'
0:31
48
No. 47. Somnus: 'Leave me, loathsome light'
3:26
49
No. 48. Iris: 'Dull God, canst thou attend the water's fall'
0:29
50
No. 49. Somnus: 'More sweet is that name'
2:27
51
No. 50. Juno: 'My will obey'
1:14
52
No. 51. Juno: 'Obey my will, thy rod resign'
1:59
Scene 2
53
No. 52. Semele: 'My racking thoughts by no kind slumbers freed'
2:42
Scene 3
54
No. 53. Juno: 'Thus shap'd like Ino'
1:26
55
No. 54. Semele: 'Myself I shall adore'
7:16
56
No. 55. Juno: 'Be wise, as you are beautiful'
1:48
57
No. 56. Semele: 'Thus let my tanks be paid'
2:20
58
No. 57. Juno: 'Rich odours fill the fragrant air'
0:22
Scene 4
59
No. 58. Jupiter: 'Come to my arms, my lovely fair'
2:51
60
No. 59. Jupiter: 'O Semele'
0:06
61
No. 60. Semele: 'I ever am granting'
1:35
62
No. 61. Jupiter: 'Speak, speak your desire'
0:37
63
No. 62. Semele: 'You'll grant what I require'
0:10
64
No. 63. Semele: 'Then cast off this human shape which you wear'
0:16
65
No. 64. Jupiter: 'Ah, take heed what you press'
1:14
66
No. 65. Semele: 'No, no! I'll take no less'
5:12
Scene 5
67
No. 66. Jupiter: 'Ah! whither is she gone! unhappy fair!'
3:06
Scene 6
68
No. 67. Juno: 'Above measure'
2:22
Scene 7
69
No. 68. Semele: 'Ah me! too late I now repent'
3:07
Scene 8
70
No. 69. Ino: 'Of my ill-boding dream'
0:12
71
No. 70. Chorus: 'O terror and astonishment!'
4:00
72
No. 71. Ino: 'How I was hence remov'd'
0:41
73
No. 72. Athamus: 'Despair no more shall wound me'
5:07
74
No. 73. Cadmus: 'See from above the bellying clouds descend'
0:14
Scene 9
75
No. 74. Sinfonia. [ ]
1:19
76
No. 75. Apollo: 'Apollo comes to relieve your care'
0:43
77
No. 76. All: 'Happy, happy shall we be'
3:02
Mortals
Rosemary Joshua soprano - Semele
Hilary Summers contralto - Ino
Brindley Sherratt bass - Cadmus
Stephen Wallace counter-tenor - Athamus
Immortals
Richard Croft tenor - Jupiter
Hilary Summers contralto - Juno
Gail Pearson soprano - Iris
Brindley Sherratt bass - Somnus
Richard Croft tenor - Apollo
Christian Curnyn
16-20 April 2007