On Friday, April 12th, 7:30pm at Hill Auditorium, the University Musical Society will present a concert of Handel’s Semele, performed by The English Concert, along with the Clarion Choir, and a cast of world-renowned soloists.
Handel’s Semele is a musical drama (originally performed as an oratorio, but has subsequently been performed with staging as an opera) based on the Greek myth of Semele, mother of Dionysos. (Note: William Congreve’s libretto is based on Ovid’s account in The Metamorphoses, and therefore uses the Roman names for the various deities.) Though once considered scandalous, Semele is now one of Handel’s most popular works, and is admired for the richness and variety of its score, with such beautiful arias as “The Morning Lark” and “Where’er You Walk.”
The English Concert, lead by Harry Bicket, is one of the world’s leading Baroque orchestras. With a cast of singers including Brenda Rae as Semele and Elizabeth DeShong as her adversary Juno, this performance of Handel’s Semele is sure to be a must-see at Hill Auditorium this Friday.
