John Eccles' opera Semele was written in about 1706 but never staged, and it seems unlikely that Handel, who wrote an oratorio on the same text by William Congreve, ever knew it. It was unknown until 1960 when it was revived at Oxford University, and this is billed as its first professional recording; there is a 2003 reading by the Florida State University Opera, directed by lutenist Anthony Rooley. It is well worth rediscovery in this sparkling version by the Academy of Ancient Music and Cambridge Handel Opera, based on a ...
Read More
John Eccles' opera Semele was written in about 1706 but never staged, and it seems unlikely that Handel, who wrote an oratorio on the same text by William Congreve, ever knew it. It was unknown until 1960 when it was revived at Oxford University, and this is billed as its first professional recording; there is a 2003 reading by the Florida State University Opera, directed by lutenist Anthony Rooley. It is well worth rediscovery in this sparkling version by the Academy of Ancient Music and Cambridge Handel Opera, based on a 2019 production. The tale is based on the Greek myth of Semele as rendered by Ovid, with an unwieldy cast of gods and goddesses that perhaps contributed to the original difficulty in casting and staging the work. The singers, led by Anna Dennis in the title role and baritone Jonathan Brown (who has wonderfully expressive recitatives), interact well and keep the text, for the most part, intelligible, which is key here. Musically, the opera represents something of a link between...
Read Less
