Help
Skip to main content
Basket 0 items, $0.00

Special offer. Handel: Semele

Ana Maria Labin (Semele), Matthew Newlin (Jupiter/Apollo), Lawrence Zazzo (Athamas), Dara Savinoya (Juno/Ino), Chiara Skerath (Iris), Andreas Wolf (Cadmus/Somnus/High Priest)

Millenium Orchestra, Chœur de Chambre de Namur, Leonardo García Alarcón

Handel: Semele

Awards:

Alarcón’s cast is without exception highly personable and youthful sounding. Ana Maria Labin is a captivating Semele, encompassing both the impetuous and tragic sides of the character…This is...

Opera, May 2022

More reviews

Special offer. Handel: Semele

Ana Maria Labin (Semele), Matthew Newlin (Jupiter/Apollo), Lawrence Zazzo (Athamas), Dara Savinoya (Juno/Ino), Chiara Skerath (Iris), Andreas Wolf (Cadmus/Somnus/High Priest)

Millenium Orchestra, Chœur de Chambre de Namur, Leonardo García Alarcón

Purchase product

3 CDs

Original price $39.00 Reduced price $29.25

3 available: usually despatched in 3 - 4 working days

British Music - up to 55% off selected titles

Special offer ends: 29/07/2026

A Musical Picture - up to 25% off selected titles

Special offer ends: 09/09/2026

Download

From Original price $15.25 Reduced price $10.75

Download

Audio formats guide

88.2 kHz, 24 bit, FLAC/ALAC/WAV

Original price ($30.50) Reduced price $21.25

44.1 kHz, 16 bit, FLAC/ALAC/WAV

Original price ($22.75) Reduced price $16.00

320 kbps, MP3

Original price ($15.25) Reduced price $10.75

This release includes a digital booklet

A Musical Picture - up to 25% off selected titles

Special offer ends: 09/09/2026
Stream now Hi-RES 88.2 kHz, 24 bit
Free 30 day trial

Awards:

Alarcón’s cast is without exception highly personable and youthful sounding. Ana Maria Labin is a captivating Semele, encompassing both the impetuous and tragic sides of the character…This is...

Opera, May 2022

More reviews

About

Semele is a masterpiece. For what else can one call a drama in which the perfect symbiosis of text and music conjures up such suggestive power? ‘To hold the mind, the ears and the eyes equally spellbound’: this recommendation by La Bruyère (Les Caractères: ‘Les ouvrages de l'esprit’) refers to the ‘machine plays’ so adored by the public in the Baroque period. But even without machinery or indeed without sets or real staging, Handel’s oratorio involves us in the tragic fate of his heroine with supreme skill.

Contents and tracklist

Handel: Semele, HWV 58: Overture
Work length4:33
Handel: Semele, HWV 58, Act I
Work length55:53
No. 1, Behold! Auspicious Flashes Rise (Priest)
Track length1:20
No. 2, Lucky Omens Bless Our Rites (Chorus of Priests)
Track length3:39
No. 3, Daughter, Obey, Hear and Obey! (Cadmus, Athamas)
Track length1:09
No. 4, Ah Me! What Refuge Now is Left Me? (Semele)
Track length1:05
No. 5, Oh Jove! in Pity Teach Me (Semele)
Track length2:06
No. 6, The Morning Lark To Mine Accords (Semele)
Track length7:10
No. 7, See, She Blushing Turns Her Eyes (Athamas)
Track length0:18
No. 8, Hymen, Haste! (Athamas) 
Track length4:52
No. 9, Alas! She Yields (Ino, Athamas, Semele)
Track length0:49
No. 10, Why Dost Thou Thus Untimely Grieve (Semele, Ino, Athamas, Cadmus)
Track length2:32
No. 11, Avert These Omens (Chorus of Priests)
Track length1:54
No. 12, Again Auspicious Flashes Rise (Cadmus)
Track length0:42
No. 13, Thy Aid, Pronubial Juno, Athamas Implores! (Athamas, Semele)
Track length0:19
No. 14, Cease, Cease Your Vow's (Chorus of Priests)
Track length0:38
No. 15, O Athamas, What Torture Hast Thou Borne! (Ino)
Track length0:27
No. 16, Turn, Hopeless Lover (Ino)
Track length8:45
No. 17, She Weeps! The Gentle Maid in Tender Pity (Athamas)
Track length0:33
No. 18, Your Tuneful Voice My Tale Would Tell (Athamas)
Track length5:24
No. 19, Too Well I See, Thou Wilt not Understand Me! (Ino, Athamas)
Track length0:55
No. 20, Air (Andante Larghetto):You've Undone Me, Look not On Me (Ino, Athamas)
Track length2:24
No. 21, Ah, Wretched Prince (Cadmus, Athamas)
Track length0:40
No. 22, Wing'd With Our Fears and Pious Haste (Cadmus)
Track length1:08
No. 23, O Prodigy, to Me of Dire Portent! (Athamas, Ino)
Track length0:11
No. 24, See, See! Jove's Priests and Holy Augurs Come (Cadmus)
Track length0:17
No. 25, Hail Cadmus, Hail! (Chorus of Priests and Augurs)
Track length1:35
No. 26, Endless Pleasure, Endless Love (Semele)
Track length2:52
No. 27, Endless Pleasure, Endless Love (Chorus of Priests and Augurs)
Track length2:09
Handel: Semele, HWV 58, Act II
Work length50:14
No. 1, Iris, Impatient of Thy Stay (Juno, Iris)
Track length0:50
No. 2, There, From Mortal Cares Retiring (Iris)
Track length3:32
No. 3, No More! I'll Hear No More! (Juno)
Track length0:06
No. 4, Awake, Saturnia, From Thy Lethargy! (Juno, Iris)
Track length2:04
No. 5, Hence, Hence, Iris, Hence Away (Juno)
Track length3:28
No. 6, O Sleep, Why Dost Thou Leave Me? (Semele)
Track length3:06
No. 7, Come, Zephyrs, Come (Cupid)
Track length5:23
No. 8, Let Me not Another Moment (Semele)
Track length0:24
No. 9, Lay Your Doubts and Fears Aside (Jupiter)
Track length3:09
No. 10, You Are Mortal (Jupiter)
Track length0:26
No. 11, With Fond Desiring (Semele)
Track length3:09
No. 12, How Engaging, How Endearing (Chorus of Loves and Zephyrs)
Track length3:18
No. 13, Ah Me! Why Sighs My Semele? (Semele, Jupiter)
Track length1:26
No. 14, I Must With Speed Amuse Her (Jupiter)
Track length4:03
No. 15, Now Love That Everlasting Boy Invites (Chorus of Loves and Zephyrs)
Track length2:19
No. 16, By My Command Now (Jupiter, Semele)
Track length1:30
No. 17, Where'er You Walk, Cool Gales Shall Fan the Glade (Jupiter)
Track length4:25
No. 18, Dear Sister, How Was Your Passage Hither? (Semele, Ino) 
Track length0:49
No. 19, But Hark! the Heav'nly Sphere Turns Round (Ino)
Track length2:03
No. 20, Prepare Then, Ye Immortal Choir! (Ino, Semele)
Track length1:52
No. 21, Bless the Glad Earth With Heav'nly Lays (Chorus of Nymphs)
Track length2:52
Handel: Semele, HWV 58, Act III
Work length59:07
No. 1, Larghetto e piano per tutto
Track length1:18
No. 2, Somnus, Awake! (Juno, Iris)
Track length0:27
No. 3, Leave Me, Loathsome Light! (Somnus)
Track length3:36
No. 4, Dull God, Canst Thou Attend the Water's Fall (Iris, Juno)
Track length0:42
No. 5, More Sweet is That Name (Somnus)
Track length2:05
No. 6, My Will Obey, She Shall Be Thine (Juno, Somnus)
Track length1:21
No. 7, Obey My Will, Thy Rod Resign (Juno, Somnus)
Track length1:56
No. 8, Thus Shap'd Like Ino, With Ease I Shall Deceive Her (Juno, Semele)
Track length1:42
No. 9, Behold in This Mirrour (Juno)
Track length2:51
No. 10, Myself I Shall Adore (Semele)
Track length7:05
No. 11, Be Wise, as You Are Beautiful (Juno, Semele)
Track length0:31
No. 12, Conjure Him by His Oath (Juno)
Track length1:15
No. 13, Thus Let My Thanks Be Paid (Semele)
Track length2:45
No. 14, Rich Odours Fill the Fragrant Air (Juno, Semele)
Track length0:29
No. 15, Come to My Arms, My Lovely Fair (Jupiter)
Track length3:41
No. 16, O Semele! Why Art Thou Thus Insensible? (Jupiter)
Track length0:24
No. 17, By That Tremendous Flood (Jupiter) 
Track length0:27
No. 18, You'll Grant What I Require? (Semele, Jupiter)
Track length0:14
No. 19, Then Cast off This Human Shape (Semele)
Track length0:15
No. 20, Ah! Take Heed What You Press! (Jupiter)
Track length1:22
No. 21, No, No, I'll Take No Less (Semele)
Track length6:42
No. 22, Ah, Whither Is She Gone! (Jupiter)
Track length2:01
No. 23, Above Measure Is the Pleasure (Juno) 
Track length2:08
No. 24, Ah Me! Too Late I Now Repent (Semele)
Track length3:23
No. 25, Of My Illiboding Dream (Ino)
Track length0:19
No. 26, Oh Terror and Astonishment! (Chorus of Priests)
Track length4:54
No. 27, How I Was Hence Remov'd (Ino, Cadmus, Athamas)
Track length0:58
No. 28, See From Above (Cadmus)
Track length0:17
No. 29, Apollo Comes (Apollo)
Track length0:48
No. 30, Happy, Happy Shall We Be (Chorus of Priests)
Track length3:11

Awards and reviews

  • International Classical Music Awards
    2023
    Winner - Baroque Vocal

May 2022

Alarcón’s cast is without exception highly personable and youthful sounding. Ana Maria Labin is a captivating Semele, encompassing both the impetuous and tragic sides of the character…This is a magical set, underlining the fact that Handel’s controversial setting of Congreve’s irrepressibly racy libretto resulted in what is not just one of his most irresistible works, but also one of his greatest.

International Classical Music Awards 2023

This recording of Handel's Semele under the conducting of Leonardo García Alarcón is an exceptional success and an interpretative triumph. It was made on the stage of the Grand Manège in Namur, a new concert hall in Wallonia, with an outstanding international cast, the Choeur de Chambre de Namur and the Millenium Orchestra.
View download progress

Download queue