ACT ONE
No. 1 - Overture
Scene 1
(Cadmus, Athamas, Semele, Ino and Chorus of Priests. The scene is the temple of Juno. Near the altar is a golden image of the goddess. The Priests are in their solemnities, as after a sacrifice newly offered: flames arise from the altar and the statue of Juno is seen to bow)
No. 2 - Accompagnato
PRIEST
Behold! Auspicious flashes rise,
Juno accepts our sacrifice;
The grateful odour swift ascends,
And see, the golden image bends!
No. 3 - Chorus
PRIESTS
Lucky omens bless our rites,
And sure success shall crown your loves;
Peaceful days and fruitful nights
Attend the pair that she approves.
No. 4 - Recitative, arioso and duet
CADMUS
Daughter, obey,
Hear and obey!
With kind consenting
Ease a parent's care;
Invent no new delay,
On this auspicious day.
ATHAMAS
Oh, hear a faithful lover's prayer!
On this auspicious day
Invent no new delay.
No. 5 - Accompagnato
SEMELE
(apart)
Ah me!
What refuge now is left me?
How various, how tormenting
Are my miseries!
O Jove, assist me!
Can Semele forego thy love,
And to a mortal's passion yield?
Thy vengeance will o'ertake such perfidy.
If I deny, my father's wrath I fear.
No. 6 - Air
O Jove! In pity teach me which to choose,
Incline me to comply, or help me to refuse!
Teach me which to choose,
Or help me to refuse!
The morning lark to mine accords his note,
And tunes to my distress his warbling throat.
Each setting and each rising sun I mourn,
Wailing alike his absence and return.
The morning lark …
No. 8 - Recitative
ATHAMAS
See, she blushing turns her eyes;
See, with sighs her bosom panting!
If from love those sighs arise,
Nothing to my bliss is wanting.
No. 9 - Air
Hymen, haste, thy torch prepare,
Love already his has lighted!
One soft sigh has cur'd despair,
And more than my past pains requited.
Hymen, haste …
No. 10 - Recitative
INO
Alas, she yields,
And has undone me!
I cannot longer hide my passion,
It must have vent,
Or inward burning
Will consume me.
O Athamas,
I cannot utter it!
ATHAMAS
On me fair Ino calls
With mournful accent,
Her colour fading,
And her eyes o'erflowing!
INO
O Semele!
SEMELE
On me she calls,
Yet seems to shun me!
What would my sister?
Speak!
INO
Thou hast undone me!
No. 11 - Quartet
CADMUS
Why dost thou thus untimely grieve,
And all our solemn rites profane?
Can he, or she thy woes relieve,
Or I? Of whom dost thou complain?
INO
Of all! But all, I fear, in vain.
ATHAMAS
Can I thy woes relieve?
SEMELE
Can I assuage thy pain?
CADMUS, ATHAMAS, SEMELE
Of whom dost thou complain?
INO
Of all! but all, I fear, in vain.
(Thunder is heard at a distance and the fire is extinguished on the altar)
No. 12 - Chorus
PRIESTS
Avert these omens, all ye pow'rs!
Some god averse our holy rites controls;
O'erwhelm'd with sudden night the day expires,
Ill-boding thunder on the right hand rolls,
And Jove himself descends in show'rs
To quench our late propitious fires.
(Flames are rekindled on the altar)
No. 13 - Accompagnato
CADMUS
Again auspicious flashes rise,
Juno accepts our sacrifice.
(The fire is again extinguished)
Again the sickly flame decaying dies:
Juno assents, but angry Jove denies.
No. 14 - Recitative
ATHAMAS
Thy aid, pronubial Juno, Athamas implores!
SEMELE
(apart)
Thee, Jove, and thee alone, thy Semele adores!
(A loud clap of thunder; the altar sinks)
No. 15 - Chorus
PRIESTS
Cease, cease your vows, 'tis impious to proceed,
Begone, and fly this holy place with speed!
This dreadful conflict is of dire presage,
Begone, and fly from Jove's impending rage!
(Exeunt)
Scene 2
(Athamas and Ino)
No. 16 - Recitative
ATHAMAS
O Athamas, what torture hast thou borne,
And oh, what hast thou yet to bear?
From love, from hope, from near possession torn,
And plung'd at once in deep despair!
No. 17 - Air
INO
Turn, hopeless lover, turn thy eyes,
And see a maid bemoan,
In flowing tears and aching sighs,
Thy woes too like her own.
Turn, hopeless lover...
No. 18 - Recitative
ATHAMAS
She weeps!
The gentle maid, in tender pity,
Weeps to behold my misery!
So Semele would melt
To see another mourn.
No. 19 - Air
Your tuneful voice my tale would tell,
In pity of my sad despair;
And with sweet melody compel
Attention from the flying fair.
Your tuneful voice…
No. 20 - Recitative
INO
Too well I see,
Thou wilt not understand me.
Whence could proceed such tenderness?
Whence such compassion?
Insensible, ingrate,
Ah no, I cannot blame thee!
For by effects, unknown before,
Who could the hidden cause explore,
Or think that love could act so strange a part,
To plead for pity in a rival's heart?
ATHAMAS
Ah me, what have I heard,
She does her passion own!
No. 21 - Duet
INO
You've undone me,
Look not on me!
Guilt upbraiding,
Shame invading,
You've undone me,
Look not on me!
ATHAMAS
With my life I would atone
Pains you've borne,
To me unknown.
Cease to shun me.
BOTH
Love alone
Has both undone!
Scene 3
(To them Enter Cadmus, attended)
No. 22 - Recitative
CADMUS
Ah, wretched prince, doom'd to disastrous love!
Ah me, of parents most forlorn!
Prepare, O Athamas, to prove
The sharpest pangs that e'er were borne,
Prepare with me our common loss to mourn!
ATHAMAS
Can fate, or Semele, invent
Another, yet another punishment?
No. 23 - Accompagnato
CADMUS
Wing'd with our fears and pious haste,
From Juno's fane we fled.
Scarce we the brazen gates had pass'd,
When Semele around her head
With azure flames was grac'd,
Whose lambent glories in her tresses play'd.
While this we saw with dread surprise,
Swifter than lightning downward tending,
An eagle stoop'd, of mighty size,
On purple wings descending,
Like gold his beak, like stars shone forth his eyes,
His silver plumy breast with snow contending.
Sudden he snatch'd the trembling maid,
And soaring from our sight convey'd,
Diffusing ever as he less'ning flew
Celestial odour and ambrosial dew.
No. 24 - Recitative
ATHAMAS
Oh prodigy, to me of dire portent!
INO
To me I hope, of fortunate event!
Scene 4
(Enter to them Chorus of Priests and Augurs)
CADMUS
See, see, Jove's Priests and holy Augurs come,
Speak, speak of Semele, and me declare the doom!
No. 25 - Chorus
PRIESTS, AUGURS
Hail Cadmus, hail!
Jove salutes the Theban king!
Cease your mourning,
Joys returning,
Songs of mirth and triumph sing!
Hail Cadmus, hail!
No. 26 - Air and Chorus
SEMELE
Endless pleasure, endless love,
Semele enjoys above!
On her bosom Jove reclining,
Useless now his thunder lies;
To her arms his bolts resigning,
And his lightning to her eyes.
PRIESTS, AUGURS
Endless pleasure, endless love
Semele enjoys above!
