In the title role, soprano Rosemary Joshua applies light and graceful tone and conveys Semele's wilful, pleasure-seeking nature. As her immortal lover Jupiter, tenor Richard Croft is equally lucid and nimble. This is the first Semele… recorded complete with period instruments. But it's not enough to match John Nelson's vividly theatrical version on modern instruments.

Of a handful of previous recordings of Semele, none was entirely satisfying. Which makes this new version – complete save for an aria for Cupid that Handel later pilfered for Hercules – all the more welcome. Christian Curnyn understands the unique tinta of this gorgeous score, and directs his spruce period band with a nice blend of nonchalant elegance and dramatic energy. Tempi are shrewdly judged, rhythms light and supple, and recitatives tumble inevitably into arias. The tragic dénouement in Act 3 has due weight and intensity, whether in the tenderly inflected accompanied recitatives for Jupiter and Semele, or the awed chorus of Thebans after the heroine's incineration.
As at the English National Opera, Rosemary Joshua, radiant of tone, dazzling in coloratura, makes Semele far more than an over-sexed airhead.
She is trills ethereally in 'The morning lark', distils a drowsy, erotic languor in 'O sleep, why dost thou leave me?', and ornaments her 'mirror' aria, 'Myself I shall adore', with dizzy glee. She is imploring and fiery by turns in her exchanges with Jupiter, and brings real pathos to the haunting siciliano 'Thus let my thanks be paid' and her sublime death scene. As Jupiter, Richard Croft fields a honeyed, sensuous tone (heard to advantage in a seductive 'Where're you walk') and formidable agility, though he could learn a thing or two about diction from Anthony Rolfe-Johnson (on Gardiner's Erato set).
Like Handel himself, Curnyn assigns the virago Juno and Semele's gentle sister Ino to the same singer. Hilary Summers, a true, deep contralto, characterises both roles well. Brindley Sherratt, with his oaky bass, offers vivid, witty cameos as Cadmus and Somnus, while Stephen Wallace sings Athamas's arias with smooth tone and a nimble florid technique, though a suspicion remains that the role lies a bit low for him.
With excellent recorded sound and balance, and an informative essay from David Vickers, this becomes a clear first choice for an everenticing work.

A most satisfying and enjoyable account of Handel’s sex-centred oratorio. Rosemary Joshua catches all of Semele’s vanity, her sensuality and her ambition while still managing to make her likeable. If the rest of the cast is a notch below her lead, the whole thing has a wonderful freshness
and vitality.

…Rosemary Joshua, radiant of tone, dazzling in coloratura, makes Semele far more than an over-sexed airhead. …a clear first choice for an over-enticing work.

Rosemary Joshua, with her crystal-bright soprano, sings brilliantly in her famous big aria 'Myself I shall adore', crisply pointed with neat triplets. Richard Croft as Jupiter sings with a pleasant light tenor...Christian Curnyn directs the whole opera stylishly and his cast is uniformly strong.