Giulio Cesare
to
Gran Teatre del Liceu La Rambla 51-59, 08002 Barcelona
Image courtesy of Liceu.
Amidst the violence of the Roman Civil War (49–45 BC), Julius Caesar discovers that his rival, Pompey, has been cruelly executed by the Egyptian king Ptolemy. While Pompey's widow, Cornelia, mourns her husband, and their son, Sesto, vows revenge on the man who killed his father, Ptolemy's sister and wife, Cleopatra, decides to seduce Caesar to gain his support and tilt the balance of power in her favor.
A love story in three acts between Caesar and Cleopatra, two illustrious figures from the pages of history, combined with te drama of the power struggles in Egypt: these were the two key ingredients behind the immediate success of Giulio Cesare when it premiered in 1724 at London’s Haymarket Theatre, a private venue supported by the enlightened aristocracy.
With a libretto by Nicola Francesco Haym, based on an earlier one by Bussani for Antonio Sartorio, Giulio Cesare quickly became Handel’s most popular opera. This was thanks to its sumptuous orchestration, extraordinary musical inventiveness, dramatic intensity and the beauty of its vocal writing and harmonic language.
With an impressive and highly acclaimed discography, Christie will lead the orchestra of the Gran Teatre del Liceu, bringing this extraordinary masterpiece to life.
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