Photo: Hugo Thomassen New production at Dutch National Opera Opera after the manner of an oratorio, in three acts Sung in English Libretto William Congreve Musical direction Emmanuelle Haïm Stage direction Claus Guth Set design Michael Levine Costume design Gesine Vö llm Lighting design Michael Bauer Video design rocafilm Choreography Ramses Sigl Dramaturgy Yvonne Gebauer, Christopher Warmuth Semele Louise Alder Athamas Jakub Jó zef Orliński Juno Jasmin White Jupiter David Portillo Cadmus / Somnus Florian Boesch Iris Jessica Niles Ino Adèle Charvet Le Concert d’Astrée Chorus of Dutch National Opera Chorus master Edward Ananian-Cooper Production of Bayerische Staatsoper Munich, in collaboration with Metropolitan Opera New York Premiere 17/1/2026 Subsequent performances: 20, 23, 25*, 27, 29 January 2026 | Curtain-up: 19:00 / *14:00 | Ticket sales start on: 28 August 2025 | Price Category: B | Location: Main Stage, Dutch National Opera & Ballet Under pressure from her father, Semele agrees to marry Athamas. However, she is secretly in love with the supreme god, Jupiter. Claus Guth interprets this love as an escape into fantasy. Semele creates a parallel reality in which all her desires are fulfilled: an understanding father, a loving husband, and above all, self-determination. But she must return to the harsh reality, where her role as wife is taken over by her sister Ino, who truly loves Athamas. Semele’s longing for what could have been remains, and she increasingly loses touch with reality. This will be the first time Semele is presented on the stage of Dutch National Opera. In this opera, Handel embraces the English tradition of narrative theatre, partially letting go of Italian operatic conventions. He creates a tragic and dazzling musical setting for Semele’s story, drawn from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Semele is both intimate and grandiose, thanks to Handel’s combination of a dramatic operatic style with the lyrical sensitivity of an oratorio. Handel specialists After their thrilling interpretation of Handel’s Giulio Cesare in the 2022 – 2023 season, Emmanuelle Haïm and her Le Concert d’Astrée will return to the Dutch National Opera orchestra pit. Claus Guth received wide acclaim for his gripping stagings of Handel’s Jephtha (2016) and Rodelinda (2020) in Amsterdam. Louise Alder, renowned for her vocal virtuosity and emotional depth, makes her debut at Dutch National Opera in the role of Semele. Another newcomer is the star countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński, who is not only a phenomenal Athamas musically but also combines it with impressive breakdancing. The cast also includes Adèle Charvet and Jessica Niles, both making their debuts on our stage, as well as returning artists Jasmin White (The Shell Trial) and Florian Boesch (Jephtha). An impossible struggle between desire and reality Semele feels like a bystander in her own life. In his staging of Handel’s masterpiece, director Claus Guth explores the suffocating expectations of bourgeois life and the quest for personal freedom. “A n entertaining, lucid and often sexy new staging” The New York Times Le Concert d’Astrée was founded in 2000 by conduc- tor Emmanuelle Haïm, who brought together experienced musicians with a deep dedication to the authentic and expressive performance of early music. The ensemble quickly grew into one of the world’s leading baroque ensembles. It has accompanied performances of baroque operas at venues such as Staatsoper Berlin, Opéra national de Paris and the Glyndebourne Festival. 37
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