Handel's Semele: Genre, Context, and Character
Mumma, Christine.
2009
- Beyond the uncertainty of what George F. Handel's work Semele should be labeled is the larger question of why it exists at all and what it means. Handel had been struggling in the years leading up to the creation of Semele. Professional failures led to personal attacks; poor health and changing political as well as societal tastes combined to present Handel with real challenges. After a journey to ... read moreDublin where the debut of his most popular work, Messiah, occurred, Handel returned with a new sense of vigor, and Semele was created, much to the chagrin of several of his adversaries. The response was immediately poor, but the importance of the title character of Semele and her fatal flaws cannot be overemphasized. This thesis further examines the concept and ideas behind Handel's Semele. From Handel's style in both opera and oratorio to how the oratorio came into being, Handel's path to creating the hybrid Semele is traced. Discussion of the work's proper classification and historical reaction then appears. The research next delves into the origins and sources for the story as well as the plot of the libretto. Semele as a social and political commentary is explored through an investigation of contemporary newspapers found in the Charles Burney collection in the British Library. This is followed by an in-depth look at how the character of Semele is represented through Handel's music. Finally, discussion of the performance history and modern recordings round out the thesis.read less
- ID:
- 4j03d9202
- Component ID:
- tufts:UA005.034.004.00001
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- TARC Citation Guide EndNote