Handel - Semele "Hence, Iris, hence away" Jones, Kwella

George Frideric Handel

Semele, HWV 58
"Hence, Iris, hence away"


Libretto: William Congreve
http://www.haendel.it/composizioni/libretti/semele_lib_uk.htm

Premiere: London, Covent Garden, 10 Febbario 1744


In this recording:

Della Jones & Patrizia Kwella

English Baroque Soloists
Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

Juno, queen of the gods as well as goddess of marriage, and her attendant messenger, Iris, enter. Iris tells Juno about the 'new-erected palace' that Jupiter has provided for Semele on Mount Cithaeron. Juno is incensed at her husband's new love and swears an oath of vengeance, not only on Semele but on all 'Agenor's curst race' (Jupiter's previous love had been Europa, daughter of the Phoenician king Agenor and aunt to Semele). Iris warns Juno of the dragons that protect Semele's palace; Juno determines to call on Somnus, god of sleep, who can seal the 'wakeful dragons' eyes' (Hence, Iris, hence away).

Juno:

No more! I'll hear no more.

Awake Saturnia from thy Lethargy;
seize, destroy the cursed Semele.
Scale proud Citheron's top:
snatch her, tear her in thy fury.
And down, down to the Flood of Acheron
let her fall, let her fall:
rolling down the depths of night,
never more to behold the light.

If I th'Imperial Scepter sway —I sware by Hell—
Tremble thou Universe this oath to hear,
not one of curst Agenor's Race to spare.

Iris:

Hear, mighty Queen, while I recount
what obstacles you must surmount;
with adamant the gates are barr'd,
whose etwo fierce dragons guard:
at each approach they lash their forky stings,
and clap their brazen wings:
and as their scaly horrors rise,
they all at once disclose
a thousand fiery eyes,
which never know repose.

Juno:

Hence Iris, hence away,
Far from the realms of day;
O'er Scythian Hills to the Meotian Lake
a speedy flight we'll take:

There Somnus I'll compell
his downy bed to leave and silent cell:
with noise and light I will his peace molest,
nor shall he sink again to pleasing rest,
'till to my vow'd revenge he grants supplies,
and seals with sleep the wakeful dragon's eyes.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• George
• Frideric
• Handel
• Semele
• Iris
• hence
• away
• Juno
• Della
• Jones
• Patrizia
• Kwella
• Gardiner
• baroque
• classical

[MisterPapageno]

Juno is an alto, not a soprano like in this recording ... I didn't like at all the singer and her vocality, quite smothered in the low register and very open vowels near middle C and not having the "fire" of Marylin Horne or Ewa Podles or Bernadette Manca di Nissa for instance.

Hope to hear this soprano singing an alto role in a suitable role (the variated part is dreaful - total lack of musicality and style in variation!).

[smithianum]

What I've always enjoyed in this recording is how this piece, with all its otherworldly embellishments, establishes Juno's overbearing majesty and divinity. It is a quality that Semele, in her final arias ("Myself I shall adore" and "No no, I'll take no less"), not just reaches but surpasses, taken as she is with her own false divinity. None of those embellishments are found in her death scene ("Ah me! Too late I now repent"); she's been taken down to size.

Anyhow, just an observation.

[mstuartg]

Her ornamentation in the da capo is exciting

[hillevifan]

and i'd pay to see it

[pweny]

fearless.

[Audiolink]

I LOVE Della Jones, she has the perfect voice for the role... however, I felt this version lacks the urgency and anger implied by the lyrics. Horne's version in the Nelson recording has all that, but then Horne kinda goes a bit "wagnerian" with her embellishments.

[kolkrabe19]

I am spooked, too. She could be one of the witches in Macbeth.

[peziac]

I did not know the singer, but it is very good, I'll try to buy records with her. Another great video from civileso. Thank you.

[MehdiCaps]

Yes, it's been uploaded minutes before this one by civileso. ;)

[legato699]

This is version is great. But you also got to hear the version done by Marilyn Horne and Sylvia McNair, conducted by John Nelson (1993).

The contrast is so noticeable, between the sweetness of Iris (McNair) and the harsh ways of Juno (Horne).