Giulio Cesare, 1724
… more pix on Reddit
Giulio Cesare (1724) by Handel (1685-1759), the German-British Baroque composer.
Who will rule (the world) 😉
Handel clearly knew what he was doing with Giulio Cesare in Egitto. Romans and Egyptians (not Greeks, though the Hellenistic vibe makes that confusion very forgivable) circling Egypt like elegant predators. It’s basically geopolitics as opera seria—power, desire, manipulation, all wrapped in dazzling arias.
Cesare’s suave imperial confidence, Cleopatra’s weaponized charm, Tolomeo’s full-on venom… everyone is scheming, seducing, or stabbing (emotionally, if not literally). No one is innocent; some are just better dressed. Handel really leans into that moral slipperiness: Cleopatra rules by performance—she acts her way into power. Cesare conquers with restraint, which somehow makes him more dangerous. Tolomeo is practically dripping poison every time he opens his mouth.
Are you rooting for anyone, or just enjoying watching them all out-scheme each other?
This production’s stage design is the best so far at this venue, and singers are all wonderful; figeratively speaking, they’re the slimiest cast so far.
There is a new act by the audience, besides the latecomers, candy wrappers, and whispers: a young woman constantly shaking her plastic cup (probably soda), making the ice cubes clash. For Pete’s sake, it isn’t a baseball game. I wish the older male companions would stop her from shaking, but they didn’t, unfortunately.
(The venue is small without a pit. They heavily use the aisles at the start or during the performance. Therefore, the latecomers should have been banned, but unfortunately they’re allowed: they disrupt the audience who came on time and pose a danger to the cast.)
