First staged at Covent Garden in 1744 and billed as a new oratorio to slip past London's Lenten opera ban, Semele unfolds as a glittering mythological drama adapted by William Congreve from Ovid, centered on a mortal princess whose desire for Jupiter provokes Juno's wrath. The score pairs sensuous lyricism with biting comedy, virtuosic coloratura, and intimate moments, demanding brilliance, agility, and psychological nuance from singers. Elisabeth Duparc originally premiered the title role, with John Beard as Jupiter. Waterperry Opera Festival staged Semele outdoors at Holland Park with the orchestra in full view, crisp direction from Bertie Baigent, and a pared-back visual scheme by Rebecca Meltzer, Catja Hamilton, and Jennifer Gregory.
Handel's Semele is one of those works that refuses to sit neatly in a box. First staged at Covent Garden in 1744, it was billed as a new oratorio to slip past London's strict Lenten ban on opera. Yet what audiences encountered was no pious oratorio at all, but a glittering mythological drama brimming with erotic charge, satire, and Italianate arias.
Musically, it is among Handel's most intoxicating creations. Sensuous lyricism rubs shoulders with biting comedy, virtuosic coloratura with moments of whispered intimacy. Handel designed the title role for the celebrated soprano Elisabeth Duparc, famed for her lark-like execution, while Jupiter was entrusted to his longtime tenor collaborator John Beard. The score asks much of its singers: brilliance, agility, and psychological nuance.
This summer, Waterperry Opera Festival brought Semele to the open-air stage at Holland Park. From the outset, the production felt tailor-made for its surroundings. The audience sat with the orchestra in plain view, directed with crisp energy by Bertie Baigent from the keyboard. Despite the outdoor setting, balance was impeccable, the players delivering Handel's effervescent score with elegance and bite.
Director Rebecca Meltzer opted for a strikingly pared-back aesthetic. At the centre of the stage stood a marbled altar, lit from within to shift mood and meaning. A simple walkway cut through the orchestra, allowing singers to pass between musicians and audience. Catja Hamilton's lighting and Jennifer Gregory's designs worked in tandem: mortals in monochrome, gods in gleaming contemporary garb, while Semele and Ino, once transported to Jupiter's realm, splashed their white costumes with vivid paint.
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