Name: Semele
Start: 2023-05-19T00:00:00.000Z
End: 2023-05-28T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Deutsches Theater Göttingen

Organization

Internationale Händel-Festspiele Göttingen

Conductor

George Petrou

Stage director

Set designer

Paris Mexis

Costume designer

Lighting designer

Stella Kaltsou

Soprano

Marie Lys

Semele

Tenor

Jeremy Ovenden

Jupiter

Apollo

Mezzo-soprano

Vivica Genaux

Juno

Contralto

Rafał Tomkiewicz

Athamas

Bass

Riccardo Novaro

Cadmus

Somnus

High Priest

Marilena Striftobola

Iris

Chorus master

Agathangelos Georgakatos

Orchestra

FestspielOrchesterGöttingen

Others

Kammerchor Athen

Göttingen

Germany

Deutsches Theater Göttingen

Public

Approved

Following the success of last year's Giulio Cesare, George Petrou stages again and conducts the first ever staged oratorio in the history of the Göttingen International Handel Festival. The new production of Semele features soprano Marie Lys, well-known in Göttingen, in the title role, as well as one of Britain's greatest tenors, Jeremy Ovenden, in the challenging role of Jupiter. Star mezzo-soprano Vivica Genaux takes on the dual role of Juno and Ino, and the Athens Chamber Choir, a brilliant young ensemble based in the Greek capital, will sing Handel's magnificent choruses.


Semele has arrived at the summit of her dreams. Or so it seems when she exuberantly rhapsodizes in the second act about “Endless pleasure, endless love”. Her secret paramour Jupiter has whisked her away to a castle in the air where nothing is lacking: servants, jewelry, parties and sex – all available without limits. At one point, however, doubts begin to gnaw at her soul. As a human being, Semele feels inferior to a god. Jupiter's wife, Juno, knows just how to capitalize on these insecurities. Jealous of her husband's affair, she appears to Semele in the form of her sister Ino and provides counsel: if she wishes to put Jupiter's loyalty to the test, she must force him to reveal himself to her in his true, divine form – thereby rendering her immortal.


George Frideric Handel transformed this ancient material into a musical drama – but did not write an opera! He noted on the score: “After the manner of an oratorio.” Handel's goal in this was to escape the conventions of opera: instead of a virtuoso show replete with a confusing plot, a new level of clarity was to be introduced. Fewer figures on stage, but all the more complex character depictions. He achieved this brilliantly in his Semele – in particular with respect to the main characters Semele, Jupiter and Juno, who are among the most challenging roles Handel ever created.

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