Handel’s Semele, first performed at Covent Garden Theater in 1744, falls somewhere between an opera and a three-part oratorio. It is based on a mythological story from Ovid’s Metamorphoses which centers around Semele, the mother of Bacchus.
At the end of the first act, Semele expresses delight in her role as the new mistress of the god, Jupiter. Her elation is expressed in the aria, Endless pleasure, endless love. Dancing accompaniment lines swirl around the soprano’s euphoric leaps into the stratosphere.
This recording features Kathleen Battle:
Recordings
Handel: Semele, HWV 58, Act 1 – Endless Pleasure, Kathleen Battle, John Nelson, Ambrosian Opera Chorus, English Chamber Orchestra Amazon
Featured Image: Interior, Theatre Royal Covent Garden where Semele was first performed
