GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL (1685– 1759)

Semele

 

Rosemary Joshua (soprano)

Hilary Summers (mezzo soprano)

Richard Croft (tenor)

Stephen Wallace (counter-tenor)

Brindley Sherratt (bass)

Gail Pearson (soprano)

 

Early Opera Company / Christian Curnyn

 

The recording by Chandos of Handel’s early opera Partenope received glowing reviews on its release in 2005. It was Classical CD of the Week in The Sunday Times and, according to Gramophone magazine, a ‘thoroughly recommendable release for Baroque opera fans’.

 

Expanding on a libretto by William Congreve, Handel’s Semele tells of the 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 machinations of Jupiter’s insanely jealous wife Juno.

 

Written at the peak of Handel’s powers, and derisively described at its premiere by one critic as ‘no oratorio but a bawdy opera’, this theatrical entertainment is crammed with Handel’s most sparkling music: spectacular orchestral numbers and powerful choruses combine with heart-stopping arias, including the popular ‘Where’er you walk’.

 

Here the work is performed by the Early Opera Company, conducted by Christian Curnyn, ‘our finest young Handelian’ (The Times), with Rosemary Joshua in the title role. Particularly noted as a Handel performer, Rosemary Joshua has built her international reputation singing such roles as Ginevra in Ariodante, Poppea in Agrippina, Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare and of course Semele which she has given at Aix-en-Provence, the BBC Proms and at English National Opera. Her ENO performance earned her a nomination for the Olivier Award for ‘Best Outstanding Achievement in Opera’.

 

She is joined by Hilary Summers and Gail Pearson, two other notable Handelians, together with Richard Croft, Stephen Wallace and Brindley Sherratt. This recording was made following performances last summer (2006) at Grange Park Opera, which prompted Music and Vision to write, ‘Rarely have I heard Semele sung so beautifully and to such good dramatic effect’, and The Guardian to observe that ‘with singing as entrancing as this, time just seemed to fly by. I look forward to the recording’.

 

Chandos Chaconne 3cds CHAN0745