"SEMELE" Presented by The Atlanta Opera

CRITIC’S PICK:Semele by Handel, Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre: George Frideric Handel’s bold treatise on sex and death first saw the light of day in London in early 1744, receiving nonplussed reactions from the public. The Baroque-era oratorio was said by critics to be “bawdy” and “profane” and was only performed a few times before languishing in limbo for decades. In these more enlightened times, ‘Semele’ is acclaimed and staged regularly around the world. The Atlanta Opera’s production is directed by Tomer Zvulum who says the piece has“enormous beauty and psychological depth.” Soprano Lauren Snouffer takes the title role of Semele, while tenor Josh Lovell performs as Jupiter with “a warm, liquid voice and easy high notes,” according to The Guardian. - Kevin C. Madigan