1724年にロンドンで初演されたエジプトのジュリオ・チェーザレ は、ゲオルク・フリードリヒ・ヘンデルの最も有名なオペラの一つであり、オペラ・セリアの傑作です。ニコラ・フランチェスコ・ハイムによるリブレットに基づき、この作品はユリウス・カエサルやクレオパトラといった歴史的人物を描き、歴史、政治的陰謀、家族の対立、そしてロマンチックな情熱を結びつけています。ヘンデルは、技巧的なアリアから誘惑の場面、そして非常に劇的な強度を持つパッセージに至るまで、卓越した豊かさの音楽を織り成しています。19世紀の大部分で舞台から姿を消した後、この作品は20世紀に真のルネサンスを迎え、現在ではバロック・オペラの偉大な柱の一つとして、ジャンルの最も強力な声によって上演されています。
Discover Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto on medici.tv!
Guilio Cesare in Egitto is a three-act opera seria by George Frideric Handel, one of the most sublime masterpieces of Baroque opera. Composed during the summer of 1723 for the Royal Academy of Music, the work premiered at the King’s Theatre in Haymarket, London, on February 20, 1724. The libretto, written by Nicola Francesco Haym, secretary of the London institution, is based on an earlier text by Giacomo Francesco Bussani, written for the opera of the same title composed by Antonio Sartorio in Venice in 1676. Based on this plot, Handel crafted a score of exceptional melodic and dramatic richness, blending virtuosic arias, scenes of seduction, and funeral scenes of rare intensity — features that make it one of his most frequently performed and recorded operas in the world today.
A political and romantic drama set between Rome and Egypt
The plot of Guilio Cesare in Egitto draws its characters from Roman history: Julius Caesar, Queen Cleopatra, her brother and rival Ptolemy (Tolomeo), Pompey’s widow Cornelia, and her son Sesto, who is determined to avenge his father. Although the events are freely adapted for the stage, all the protagonists actually existed, which lends the work an almost Shakespearean dimension. From the date of its premiere, the opera was a huge success. The London public was passionate about opera seria and enthusiastically embraced Handel’s cast: the castrato Senesino in the title role, soprano Francesca Cuzzoni as Cleopatra, Margherita Durastanti as Sesto, Anastasia Robinson as Cornelia, Gaetano Berenstadt as Tolomeo, and bass Giuseppe Maria Boschi as Achilla. Thirteen performances were given until April 11, 1724, and the work was revived several times in subsequent seasons, a testament to its enduring popularity with audiences of the time. Having fallen into obscurity with the decline of opera seria in the 19th century, Giulio Cesare in Egitto did not truly return to the stage until the 20th century, before becoming one of the unparalleled pillars of the Baroque repertoire today, driven by the rediscovery of Handel and vocal virtuosity of his works.
Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto on medici.tv
medici.tv is the perfect platform for (re)discovering this masterpiece of opera seria! Thanks to our classical music video streaming catalog — one of the world’s most extensive — you’ll find all our productions of Giulio Cesare in Egitto on this page, featuring brilliant voices of Baroque opera and conductors who specialize in Handel’s repertoire. Be sure to catch Sabine Devieile as Cleopatra in a production at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, or explore other memorable stagings of this Baroque opera, blending drama, political intrigue, and vocal virtuosity. To delve deeper into the composer’s work, immerse yourself in our playlist dedicated to Handel’s greatest operas!