Sémélé (Marais)

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Sémélé is an opera by Marin Marais first performed on April 9, 1709. The opera is in the form of a tragédie en musique with five acts and a prologue. A more well-known oratorio with the same title was later written by George Frideric Handel. Earlier, another opera, again with the same title, had been composed by John Eccles to a libretto by William Congreve. Marais's opera has been published in a modern performing score by France's Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, and the full opera was due to be given in Europe during the 2006 summer festival season. Separately, a recording of instrumental music from the opera, performed by Wieland Kuijken and Montréal Baroque, was to be released in late 2006. No complete recording yet exists of the Marais work.