Handel - Semele / Joshua, Summers, Croft, Wallace, EOC, Curnyn

Handel - Semele / Joshua, Summers, Croft, Wallace, EOC, Curnyn

Handel - Semele / Joshua, Summers, Croft, Wallace, EOC, Curnyn
Our Price: $17.98
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Category: Music CD
See more new music releases
Listen soundtracks from this album



(Click here)
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store

Music CD Cover

Composer: George Frideric Handel
Conductor: Christian Curnyn
Orchestra: Orchestra of Early Opera Company
Performer: Rosemary Joshua
Performer: Richard Croft
Performer: Stephen Wallace
Performer: Brindley Sherratt
Performer: Gail Pearson
Edition: Music CD
Format: Box set
CD Release Date: 2008-01-08
Music Label: CHANDOS CHACONNE
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
  1. No.1 Ouverture
  2. Allegro - Adagio -
  3. Gavotte
  4. No.2 Cadmus: 'Behold! Auspicious Flashes Rise!'
  5. No.3 Chorus: 'Lucky Omens Bless Our Rites'
  6. No.4 Cadmus: 'Daughter, Obey'
  7. No.5 Semele: 'Ah Me! What Refuge Now Is Left Me?'
  8. No.6 Semele: 'The Morning Lark To Mine Accords His Note'
  9. No.7 Athamus: 'See, She Blushing Turns Her Eyes'
  10. No.8 Athamus: 'Hymen, Haste, Thy Torch Prepare'
  11. No.9 Ino: 'Alas! She Yields'
  12. No.10 Cadmus: 'Why Does Thou Thus Untimely Grieve'
  13. No.11 Chorus: 'Avert These Omens, All Ye Pow'rs!'
  14. No.12 Cadmus: 'Again Auspicious Flashes Rise'
  15. No.13 Athamus: 'Thy Aid, Pronubial Juno, Athamus Implores'
  16. No.14 Chorus: 'Cease, Cease Your Vows, 'Tis Impious To Proceed'
  17. No.15 Athamus: 'O Athamus, What Torture Hast Thou Borne!'
  18. No.16 Ino: 'Turn, Hopeless Lover, Turn Thy Eyes'
  19. No.17 Athamus: 'She Weeps! The Gentle Maid, In Tender Pity'
  20. No.18 Athamus: 'Your Tuneful Voice My Tale Would Tell'
  21. No.19 Ino: 'Too Well I See'
  22. No.20 Ino: 'You've Undone Me'
  23. Medley: No.21 Cadmus: 'Ah, Wretched Prince, Doom'd To Disastrous Love!'/Cadmus: 'See, See, Jove's Priests And Holy Augurs Come'
  24. No.22 Chorus: 'Hail, Cadmus, Hail! Jove Salues the Theban King!'
  25. No.23 Semele: 'Endless Pleasure, Endless Love'
Music CD 2
  1. No.24 Sinfonia - Presto
  2. No.25 Juno: 'Iris, Impatient Of Thy Stay'
  3. No.26 Iris: 'There, From Mortal Cares Retiring'
  4. No.27 Juno: 'No More -- I'll Hear No More'
  5. No.28 Juno: 'Hence, Iris, Hence Away'
  6. No.30 Semele: 'O Sleep, Why Dost Thou Leave Me?'
  7. No.31 Semele: 'Let Me Not Another Moment'
  8. No.32 Jupiter: 'Lay Your Doubts And Fears Aside'
  9. No.33 Jupiter: 'You Are Mortal, And Require'
  10. No.34 Semele: 'With Fond Desiring'
  11. No.35 Chorus: 'How Engaging, How Endearing'
  12. Medley: No.36 Semele: 'Ah Me!'/Jupiter: 'Why Sighs My Semele?'
  13. No.37 Jupiter: 'I Must With Speed Amuse Her'
  14. No.38 Chorus: 'Now Love That Everlasting Boy Invites'
  15. No.39 Jupiter: 'By My Command'
  16. No.40 Jupiter: 'Where'er You Walk, Cool Gales Shall Fan the Glade'
  17. No. 41 Semele: 'Dear Sister, How Was Your Passage Hither?'
  18. No.42 Ino: 'But Hark! The Heav'nly Sphere Turns Round'
  19. No.43 Ino And Semele: 'Prepare Then, Ye Immortal Choir'
  20. No.44 Chorus: 'Bless the Glad Earth With Heav'nly Lays'
Music CD 3
  1. No.45 [Sinfonia] Larghetto E Piano Per Tutto
  2. No.46 Juno: 'Somnus, Awake'
  3. No.47 Somnus: 'Leave Me, Loathsome Light'
  4. No.48 Iris: 'Dull God, Canst Thou Attend the Water's Fall'
  5. No.49 Somnus: 'More Sweet Is That Name'
  6. No.50 Juno: 'My Will Obey'
  7. No.51 Juno: 'Obey My Will, Thy Rod Resign'
  8. No.52 Semele: 'My Racking Thoughts By No Kind Slumbers Freed'
  9. No.53 Juno: 'Thus Shap'd Like Ino'
  10. No.54 Semele: 'Myself I Shall Adore'
  11. No.55 Juno: 'Be Wise, As You Are Beautiful'
  12. No.56 Semele: 'Thus Let My Thanks Be Paid'
  13. No.57 Juno: 'Rich Odours Fill the Fragrant Air'
  14. No.58 Jupiter: 'Come To My Arms, My Lovely Fair'
  15. No.59 Jupiter: 'O Semele'
  16. No.60 Semele: 'I Ever Am Granting'
  17. No.61 Jupiter: 'Speak, Speak Your Desire'
  18. No.62 Semele: 'You'll Grant What I Require'
  19. No.63 Semele: 'Then Cast Off This Human Shape Which You Wear'
  20. No.64 Jupiter: 'Ah, Take Heed What You Press'
  21. No.65 Semele: 'No, No! I'll Take No Less'
  22. No.66 Jupiter: 'Ah! Whither Is She Gone! Unhappy Fair!'
  23. No.67 Juno: 'Above Measure'
  24. No.68 Semele: 'Ah Me! Too Late I Now Repent'
  25. No.69 Ino: 'Of My Ill-Boding Dream'
  26. No.70 Chorus: 'O Terror And Astonishment!'
  27. No.71 Ino: 'How I Was Hence Remov'd'
  28. No.72 Athamus: 'Despair No More Shall Wound Me'
  29. No.73 Cadmus: 'See From Above the Bellying Clouds Descend'
  30. No.74 Sinfonia
  31. No.75 Apollo: 'Apollo Comes To Relieve Your Care'
  32. No.76 All: 'Happy, Happy Shall We Be'

Free Music Notes for Handel - Semele / Joshua, Summers, Croft, Wallace, EOC, Curnyn

Free Music Review: My New Favorite
Hit: 4 Stars

This new Semele bests the available competition in two areas in particular - the excellence of Rosemary Joshua's voicing of the title role and the use of Handel's complete 1744 text. John Eliot Gardiner's Erato effort of 25 years ago was significantly cut (as was Somary's old Vanguard version). Nelson, on DG employs a more complete text, but with a couple of exceptions, is bested by the new Chandos offering.

As mentioned earlier, Joshua is a very fine Semele. Of the competitors, Norma Burrowes is too much the nymphet and Kathleen Battle too much the diva. Joshua's lovely tone and good technique (a few sketchy trills aside) make the character very appealing. Hilary Summers, also in very good voice is a scheming Juno who tears into the music with relish. As Ino, a doubling that is authentically Handelian, she demonstrates her chops as a vocal actress by offering a portrait of Semele's lovestruck sister that is completely different from the goddess. She does not efface memories of the wonderful Marilyn Horne's work in the competing DG set, but this is a very fine piece of singing.

Richard Croft brings a dark tone to the role of Jupiter and sings with good coloratura technique. His singing is sensitive to the text. Listen, for example, to his touching utterances of regret in "Tis past recall; she must a victim fall." Brindley Sherrat is a sturdy voiced Cadmus and doubles as an appropriately somnolent Somnus.

I don't care much for Stephen Wallace's pallid countertenor as Athamus. Michael Chance is much better for Nelson. The chorus sings lustily and the period instrument orchestra is colorful and technically adept. After all these years of hearing Handel on period instruments, Nelson's admittedly excellent modern band is missing the last measure of color. Conductor Curnyn paces the performance very nicely. He also allows the crashing tympani to cut loose when appropriate, adding to the fun of what Charles Jennens, Handel's Messiah librettist, dismissed as a "baudy opera".

Classical Music CDs

Music Genres
Top music charts in Classical Music CDs
Tchaikovsky - Eugene Onegin / Fleming, Vargas, Hvorostovsky, Gergiev, Carsen [Metropolitan Opera 2007] ImageTchaikovsky - Eugene Onegin / Fleming, Vargas, Hvorostovsky, Gergiev, Carsen [Metropolitan Opera 2007]
Release date: 2007-12-18; DVD
Best price: $19.54
Price in other shops: $39.98
Beethoven Edition: Complete Works (85CD Box Set) ImageBeethoven Edition: Complete Works (85CD Box Set)
Release date: 2007-10-09; Music CD
Best price: $81.24
Price in other shops: $139.98
Vivere Live in Tuscany [DVD/CD] ImageVivere Live in Tuscany [DVD/ CD]
ANDREA BOCELLI - VIVERE, LIVE IN TUSCANY (DVD; Release date: 2008-01-29; DVD
Best price: $15.97
Price in other shops: $24.98
Dirty Harry Ultimate Collector's Edition [Blu-ray] ImageDirty Harry Ultimate Collector's Edition [Blu-ray]
Warner Brothers; Release date: 2008-06-03; DVD
Best price: $90.95
Price in other shops: $129.95
Handel: Organ Concertos, Op. 4 [Hybrid SACD] ImageHandel: Organ Concertos, Op. 4 [Hybrid SACD]
Release date: 2008-02-12; Music CD
Best price: $15.49
Price in other shops: $23.98
Italia ImageChris Botti - Italia
Release date: 2007-09-25; Music CD
Best price: $9.77
Price in other shops: $14.98
Andre Rieu in Wonderland (incl bonus CD) ImageAndre Rieu in Wonderland (incl bonus CD)
Release date: 2008-04-01; DVD
Best price: $15.50
Price in other shops: $24.99
The Best of Andrea Bocelli: Vivere ImageAndrea Bocelli - The Best of Andrea Bocelli: Vivere
Release date: 2007-10-30; Music CD
Best price: $7.32
Price in other shops: $18.98
Music of the Spheres ImageMike Oldfield - Music of the Spheres
Release date: 2008-03-25; Music CD
Best price: $11.17
Price in other shops: $16.98
One Chance ImagePaul Potts - One Chance
Release date: 2007-09-18; Music CD
Best price: $10.28
Price in other shops: $18.98
Top Rated Albums
Tchaikovsky - Eugene Onegin / Fleming, Vargas, Hvorostovsky, Gergiev, Carsen [Metropolitan Opera 2007] ImageTchaikovsky - Eugene Onegin / Fleming, Vargas, Hvorostovsky, Gergiev, Carsen [Metropolitan Opera 2007]
Release date: 2007-12-18; DVD
Best price: $19.48
Price in other shops: $39.98
Romantic Arias ImageJonas Kaufmann - Romantic Arias
Release date: 2008-03-11; Music CD
Best price: $12.49
Price in other shops: $16.98
Handel - Floridante / Mijanovic, DiDonato, Invernizzi, Rostorf-Zmir, Priante, Novaro, Il Complesso Barocco, Curtis ImageHandel - Floridante / Mijanovic, DiDonato, Invernizzi, Rostorf-Zmir, Priante, Novaro, Il Complesso Barocco, Curtis
Release date: 2007-04-10; Music CD
Best price: $22.97
Price in other shops: $33.98
Handel: Riccardo Primo ImageHandel: Riccardo Primo
Release date: 2008-01-18; Music CD
Best price: $29.98
Price in other shops: $47.99
Atenaide / Piau, Agnew, Laurens, Stutzmann, Genaux, Basso, Ferrari, Modo Antiquo, Sardelli (Vivaldi Edition) ImageAtenaide / Piau, Agnew, Laurens, Stutzmann, Genaux, Basso, Ferrari, Modo Antiquo, Sardelli (Vivaldi Edition)
Release date: 2007-10-30; Music CD
Best price: $24.85
Price in other shops: $36.98
Diana Damrau - Arie di Bravura (Mozart, Salieri, Righini Opera Arias) ImageDiana Damrau - Arie di Bravura (Mozart, Salieri, Righini Opera Arias)
Release date: 2007-11-06; Music CD
Best price: $11.59
Price in other shops: $16.98
Handel - Amadigi di Gaula ImageHandel - Amadigi di Gaula
Release date: 2008-02-26; Music CD
Best price: $23.99
Price in other shops: $29.98
Philippe Jaroussky - Carestini (The Story of a Castrato) ImagePhilippe Jaroussky - Carestini (The Story of a Castrato)
Release date: 2007-11-20; Music CD
Best price: $11.49
Price in other shops: $16.98
Voce D'Italia: Arias For Rubini ImageVoce D'Italia: Arias For Rubini
Release date: 2008-01-22; Music CD
Best price: $9.34
Price in other shops: $16.98
Handel -Tolomeo / Hallenberg, Gauvin, Bonitatibus, Basso, Spagnoli, Il Complesso Barocco, Curtis ImageHandel -Tolomeo / Hallenberg, Gauvin, Bonitatibus, Basso, Spagnoli, Il Complesso Barocco, Curtis
Release date: 2008-03-11; Music CD
Best price: $22.96
Price in other shops: $33.98
Compare prices and find music notes for more than one million Music CD titles