Opera Review: Wrestling with the Gods

The Canadian Opera Company presents Semele at BAM.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

Temple maiden: Semele (Jane Archibald) awaits her lover in the Handel opera.
Photo provided by Brooklyn Academy of Music © 2015 Canadian Opera Company.

The rich history of China is a recurring leitmotif in the 500-year history of the Western art form of opera. On Friday night, the Canadian Opera Company gave the second performance of its production of Handel's Semele, designed and directed by the Chinese auteur Zhang Huan. This production's arrival in New York is the cornerstone opera offering of BAM's spring season, and a chance for this city to hear this excellent Toronto-based company in a rare American visit.