Georg Friedrich Handel: Giulio Cesare

Power struggles, love and betrayal: these are the pillars on which Georg Friedrich Handel’s Giulio Cesare rests. Starting with Nicola Francesco Haym’s rich libretto, this most English of German composers weaves a lavish work in which passion and politics intertwine. A myriad of historical and mythological figures clash in this opera seria in which, despite Tolomeo’s scheming, nothing will undermine the love between Julius Caesar and Cleopatra, nor prevent the accession of the latter to the throne of Egypt.

This new production of Giulio Cesare at the Dutch National Opera is brought to us by two headlining duos: French conductor Emmanuelle Haïm and Spanish director Calixto Bieito on the one hand, and Christophe Dumaux (in the title role) and Julie Fuchs (playing Cleopatra) on the other. Alongside this artistic core, we find Le Concert d’Astrée in the orchestra pit and Georgiy Derbas-Richter (Curio), Teresa Iervolino (Cornelia), Cecilia Molinari (Sesto), Cameron Shahbazi (Tolomeo), Frederik Bergman (Achilla) and Jake Ingbar (Nireno) on stage. A cast that is truly worthy of this Handelian masterpiece.

Performance filmed on 2 February 2023 at the Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam

Photo © Milagro Elstak