Color: Colour

Credits:

Strauss, R.

Description:

Semele, the daughter of King Kadmos of Thebai, is so anxious to marry Artamas, Prince of Boiotia, that she asks Jove (Jupiter) to save her. Jove, disguised as a giant eagle, kidnaps Semele and surrounds her in his newly built palace, while his jealous wife Juno swears revenge and sets a trap to break their relationship... The prestigious New Zealand Opera House, known as Kiri Te Kanawa's home opera house, presents Handel's masterpiece "Semele". This is one of Handel's works from the 1740s, when he concentrated on oratorios sung in English, such as "Messiah," and the libretto is by William Congreve, based on Greek mythology and the forbidden love between gods and humans. The performance begins like a scene from an action movie, with Jove riding his motorcycle to the altar of Semele's wedding and kidnapping her.The opera is dramatically performed by an outstanding chorus and orchestra led by Peter Walls, a leading scholar of baroque music, and a full cast of singers including Emma Pearson as the title role, who excels in coloratura singing, and Amitai Partai as the wild and wild Jove. Naxos Japan