Semele

Album by George Frideric Handel & Christian Curnyn & Early Opera Company & Rosemary Joshua

Semele is an English-language oratorio by George Frideric Handel, first performed in 1744. The work mixes operatic arias, choral writing and orchestral colour rooted in Italianate opera and it was composed as Handel shifted from writing Italian operas toward English oratorio.

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Disc 1

  1. 1.
    SEMELE, Oratorio in Three Acts, HWV 58 - No. 1. Ouverture. [ ] -
    2:33
  2. 2.
    No. 1. Allegro - Adagio -
    3:41
  3. 3.
    No. 1. Gavotte
    1:29
  4. 4.
    ACT I. Scene 1. No. 2. Accompagnato (Cadmus): Behold! auspicious flashes rise!
    1:23
  5. 5.
    Scene 1. No. 3. Chorus: Lucky omens bless our rites
    3:14
  6. 6.
    Scene 1. No. 4. Recitative and Arioso (Cadmus, Athamus): Daughter, obey
    0:55
  7. 7.
    Scene 1. No. 5. Accompagnato & Air (Semele): Ah me! What refuge now is left me? ... O Jove! in pity teach me which to choose
    2:42
  8. 8.
    Scene 1. No. 6. Air (Semele): The morning lark to mine accords his note
    7:25
  9. 9.
    Scene 1. No. 7. Recitative (Athamus): See, she blushing turns her eyes
    0:16
  10. 10.
    Scene 1. No. 8. Air (Athamus): Hymen, haste, thy torch prepare
    4:45
  11. 11.
    Scene 1. No. 9. Recitative (Ino, Athamus, Semele): Alas! she yields
    0:41
  12. 12.
    Scene 1. No. 10. Quartet (Cadmus, Ino, Athamus, Semele): Why does thou thus untimely grieve
    3:03
  13. 13.
    Scene 1. No. 11. Chorus: Avert these omens, all ye pow'rs!
    2:00
  14. 14.
    Scene 1. No. 12. Accompagnato (Cadmus): Again auspicious flashes rise
    0:38
  15. 15.
    Scene 1. No. 13. Recitative (Athamus, Semele): Thy aid, pronubial Juno, Athamus implores
    0:13
  16. 16.
    Scene 1. No. 14. Chorus: Cease, cease your vows, 'tis impious to proceed
    0:32
  17. 17.
    Scene 2. No. 15. Recitative (Athamus): O Athamus, what torture hast thou borne!
    0:28
  18. 18.
    Scene 2. No. 16. Air (Ino): Turn, hopeless lover, turn thy eyes
    8:01
  19. 19.
    Scene 2. No. 17. Recitative (Athamus): She weeps! The gentle maid, in tender pity
    0:17
  20. 20.
    Scene 2. No. 18. Air (Athamus): Your tuneful voice my tale would tell
    3:50
  21. 21.
    Scene 2. No. 19. Recitative (Ino, Athamus): Too well I see
    0:42
  22. 22.
    Scene 2. No. 20. Duet (Ino, Athamus): You've undone me / With my life I would atone
    2:26
  23. 23.
    Scene 3, 4. No. 21. Recit. (Cadmus, Athamas): Ah, wretched Prince - Accomp. (Cadmus): Wing'd with our fears - Recit. (Athamas, Ino): O prodigy - Scene 4. Recit. Cadmus): See, see, Jove's Priests
    2:08
  24. 24.
    Scene 4. No. 22. Chorus: Hail, Cadmus, hail! Jove salutes the Theban King
    1:29
  25. 25.
    Scene 4. No. 23. Air (Semele) and Chorus: Endless pleasure, endless love
    4:53

Disc 2

  1. 2.
    ACT II. No. 24. Sinfonia. Presto
    1:36
  2. 3.
    Scene 1. No. 25. Recitative (Juno, Iris): Iris, impatient of thy stay
    0:47
  3. 4.
    Scene 1. No. 26. Air (Iris): There, from mortal cares retiring
    3:40
  4. 5.
    Scene 1. No. 27. Recitative & Accompagnato (Juno, Iris): No more - I'll hear no more ... Awake Saturnia from thy lethargy!
    2:05
  5. 6.
    Scene 1. No. 28. Air (Juno): Hence, Iris, hence away - Scene 2. No. 29. Air (Cupid): Come, Zephyrus, come
    3:51
  6. 7.
    Scene 2. No. 30. Air (Semele): O sleep, why dost thou leave me?
    2:54
  7. 8.
    Scene 3. No. 31. Recitative (Semele): Let me not another moment
    0:20
  8. 9.
    Scene 3. No. 32. Air (Jupiter): Lay your doubts and fears aside
    3:07
  9. 10.
    Scene 3. No. 33. Recitative (Jupiter): You are mortal, and require
    0:17
  10. 11.
    Scene 3. No. 34. Air (Semele): With fond desiring
    3:21
  11. 12.
    Scene 3. No. 35. Chorus of Loves and Zephyrs: How engaging, how endearing
    3:03
  12. 13.
    Scene 3. No. 36. Recitative (Semele, Jupiter): Ah me! / Why sighs my Semele?
    1:07
  13. 14.
    Scene 3. No. 37. Air (Jupiter): I must with speed amuse her
    3:57
  14. 15.
    Scene 3. No. 38. Chorus of Loves and Zephyrs: Now Love that everlasting boy invites
    2:21
  15. 16.
    Scene 3. No. 39. Recitative (Jupiter, Semele): By my command
    1:03
  16. 17.
    Scene 3. No. 40. Air (Jupiter): Where'er you walk
    4:56
  17. 18.
    Scene 4. No. 41. Recitative (Semele. Ino): Dear sister, how was your passage hither?
    0:40
  18. 19.
    Scene 4. No. 42. Air (Ino): But hark! the heav'nly sphere turns round
    2:26
  19. 20.
    Scene 4. No. 43. Duet (Ino & Semele): Prepare then, ye immortal choir
    1:57
  20. 21.
    Scene 4. No. 44. Chorus of Nymphs and Swains: Bless the glad earth with heav'nly lays
    2:45

Disc 3

  1. 3.
    ACT III. No. 45. Sinfonia. Larghetto e piano per tutto
    1:29
  2. 4.
    Scene 1. No. 46. Accompagnato (Juno, Iris): Somnus, awake
    0:31
  3. 5.
    Scene 1. No. 47. Air (Somnus): Leave me, loathsome light
    3:26
  4. 6.
    Scene 1. No. 48. Recitative (Iris, Juno): Dull God, canst thou attends the water's fall
    0:30
  5. 7.
    Scene 1. No. 49. Air (Somnus): More sweet is that name
    2:26
  6. 8.
    Scene 1. No. 50. Recitative (Juno, Somnus): My will obey, she shall be thine
    1:15
  7. 9.
    Scene 1. No. 51. Duet (Juno, Somnus): Obey my will, thy rod resign
    1:58
  8. 10.
    Scene 2. No. 52. Air (Semele): My racking thoughts by no kind slumbers freed
    2:42
  9. 11.
    Scene 3. No. 53. Recitative (Juno, Semele): Thus shap'd like Ino
    1:25
  10. 12.
    Scene 3. No. 54. Air (Semele): Myself I shall adore
    7:16
  11. 13.
    Scene 3. No. 55. Recitative (Juno, Semele): Be wise, as you are beautiful - Accompagnato (Juno): Conjure him by his oath
    1:48
  12. 14.
    Scene 3. No. 56. Air (Semele): Thus let my thanks be paid
    2:19
  13. 15.
    Scene 3. No. 57. Recitative (Juno, Semele): Rich odours fill the fragrant air
    0:23
  14. 16.
    Scene 4. No. 58. Air (Jupiter): Come to my arms, my lovely fair
    2:51
  15. 17.
    Scene 4. No. 59. Recitative (Jupiter): O Semele! Why art thou thus insensible?
    0:06
  16. 18.
    Scene 4. No. 60. Air (Semele): I ever am granting
    1:35
  17. 19.
    Scene 4. No. 61. Recitative (Jupiter, Semele): Speak, speak your desire - Accompagnato (Jupiter): By that tremendous flood, I swear
    0:37
  18. 20.
    Scene 4. No. 62. Recitative (Semele, Jupiter): You'll grant what I require
    0:10
  19. 21.
    Scene 4. No. 63. Accompagnato (Semele): Then cast off this human shape which you wear
    0:16
  20. 22.
    Scene 4. No. 64. Air (Jupiter): Ah, take heed what you press
    1:15
  21. 23.
    Scene 4. No. 65. Air (Semele): No, no! I'll take no less
    5:12
  22. 24.
    Scene 5. No. 66. Accompagnato (Jupiter): Ah! whither is she gone! unhappy fair!
    3:05
  23. 25.
    Scene 6. No. 67. Air (Juno): Above measure is the pleasure
    2:23
  24. 26.
    Scene 7. No. 68. Accompagnato (Semele): Ah me! too late I now repent
    3:07
  25. 27.
    Scene 8. No. 69. Recitative (Ino): Off my ill-boding dream
    0:12
  26. 28.
    Scene 8. No. 70. Chorus of Priests: O terror and astonishment!
    4:00
  27. 29.
    Scene 8. No. 71. Recitative (Ino, Cadmus, Athamus): How I was hence remov'd
    0:42
  28. 30.
    Scene 8. No. 72. Air (Athamus): Despair no more shall wound me
    5:07
  29. 31.
    Scene 8. No. 73. Recitative (Cadmus): See from above the bellying clouds descend
    0:14
  30. 32.
    Scene 9. No. 74. Sinfonia
    1:19
  31. 33.
    Scene 9. No. 75. Accompagnato (Apollo): Apollo comes to relieve your care
    0:43
  32. 34.
    Scene 9. No. 76. Chorus (all): Happy, happy shall we be
    3:07

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