Customer Reviews

Giulio Cesare

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First performed 20 February 1724 and frequently revived thereafter during Handel's lifetime, Giulio Cesare, like all of his operas, fell into obscurity for 2 centuries. Supposedly, they were uninteresting to a modern audience and unperformable by modern performers. Recent scholarship proved the absurdity of this mistaken viewpoint. Handel's operas are joining his oratorios in the repertory with Cesare probably most performed along with Serse.

Cleopatra made a star of Beverly Sills. I think it may do the same for the uncommonly beautiful Danielle de Niese whose stunning appearance and rich soprano fill the Glyndebourne stage with that ineffable quality called 'starpower'. Glyndebourne and Opus Arte must agree because they showcase Ms. de Niece in a 30 minute documentary on disc 1 called 'Danielle de Niece and the Glyndebourne experience'! In it, appealing to the under 30 audience is explicitly discussed. Every aspect of this staging of Cesare is created with that mission in mind. Another documentary film included in the set is 'Entertainment is not a dirty word'. If you can deal with all this, you will enjoy this 3 disc DVD immensely. I found this performance funny, entertaining, inventive, a little glitzy (in a good way) and well sung. On the negative side, I found it slightly weaker dramatically but with some absorbing tragic singing from Angelika Kirschlager as Sesto and Patricia Bardon as Sesto's mother Cornelia. Sarah Connolly makes a fine Cesare. Christopher Maltman is a standout Achilla. The cast is quite good and they appear to be enjoying themselves. In a 4 hour opera that is probably helpful.

William Christie is a superb conductor of Baroque opera. He has been joining his talents to productions that emphasize a more modern sensibilty. Some purists wonder where the real heart of Baroque opera is when singers cavort onstage in slinky Flapper dresses and designer sunglasses. I can live with it if the music is well performed: as it is here by the superb Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. But even open-minded laissez-faire opera fans (like me) would like to see a real Baroque opera performed as written one day. This is a vastly entertaining production. The costumes are beautiful. The stagecraft and sets are brilliantly conceived. There is a wonderful wave machine with 19th Century ships-of-war at the rear of a Baroque-style stage. A harvest moon with stars glimmers in the sky. It is quite lovely. And the music by Handel is pretty good, too.

This 3 DVD set is NTSC all regions shot in 16/9 true anamorphic widescreen in high definition. It looks beautiful. Sound is recorded in LPCM stereo and 5.1 DTS Digital Surround Sound. Both are crystal clear with DTS providing terrific immediacy and presence to the sound. You feel like you're there. Subtitles are in English, French, German, Spanish and Italian. Menus are in English. There are numerous extras: including the films mentioned, an illustrated plot synopsis, a cast gallery, production and rehearsal photos. The 48 page enclosed booklet is glossy, beautiful and informative. Total running time of the DVDs is 305 minutes. Another superb Opus Arte release.

This is a wonderfully entertaining modern production with a great Baroque opera at its heart. If you can deal with the anachronisms and glitz, you will love it. If you're a purist, be forewarned. Strongly recommended.

Mike Birman

Musically, this recording of "Giulio Cesare" is surely the best on either CD or DVD. Until now, my two favorites have been the New York City Opera-Beverly Sills-Norman Treigle production from 1966-67 (which I saw in person) and Rene Jacobs' 1992 recording on Harmonia Mundi. No longer, however, does one have to sacrifice drama for completeness and original pitch. Conductor William Christie, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and a superb Glyndebourne cast prove that historically informed performance can be even more exciting and absorbing than the shortened, transposed versions from the early days of the Baroque revival. Sarah Connolly (as Caesar), Danielle de Niese (as Cleopatra), and the other singers and instrumentalists equal or exceed their predecessors in all respects. (The horns in the opening and closing choruses will just blow you away--pun intended.)

The production portrays Caesar as a 19th century British imperialist, but the conceit is worn lightly and is generally successful. (I can't explain the anachronistic dirigibles, destroyers, and ocean liner that appear in the harbor of Alexandria at various points.) In the documentary that accompanies the performance, director David McVicar acknowledges that some of Cleopatra's stage action is inspired by Bollywood films, but even these scenes do not seem inappropriate. Remember that other serious Baroque and classical operas, such as Serse and Don Giovanni, contain humorous elements.

The two protagonists could not be bettered, either vocally or dramatically. Sarah Connolly dominates the stage, moves with a masculine swagger, and makes a most effective Caesar. And it's no wonder that the older man falls for the beautiful, funny, flirtatious, and phenomenally talented 26-year old Danielle de Niese. Patricia Bardon (as Cornelia, widow of Pompey) and Angelika Kirschlager (as Sesto, Pompey's son) carry the tragic element as they work to avenge the murdered king.

This DVD of "Giulio Cesare" joins the Handel honor roll, which includes Christie's "Hercules," Christophe Rousset's "Serse," and Trevor Pinnock's "Tamerlano."

This is the fourth "Cesare" I watched. It is the most complete of all performances on DVD - the music lasts nearly 4 hours, an hour more than the Baker recording. Sound and picture are excellent, sounds like a good cd.
William Christie conducts the wonderful score with expertise and flexibility. No need to praise the orchestra - they are among the best.
We are in an age of countertenors, but the role of Cesare is given to an alt - Sarah Conolly. Her very good singing does not erase memories of Janet Baker, but her acting is more persuasive. All the singers are experts, and Cleopatra (Danielle de Niese) outshines them all. She leads a production of not only high artistic value, but also a great entertainment.
For this the credit must also go to he stage director McVicar and the choreographer.All in all, a first rate evening at the opera.

David McVicar's spirited, audacious 2005 Glyndebourne staging of Handel's preeminent opera seria comes to life in a surprisingly robust 2006 DVD package that spreads the marathon, four-hour work over three discs. Not nearly as outrageous as David Alden or Peter Sellars, McVicar exhibits a more manageable theatrical flair with an idiosyncratic blend of historical periods and dramatic styles from slapstick to melodrama. Bolstered by Robert Jones' impressive sets, it's a lavish production that places the classic story of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra within the context of the 18th century British imperialism encroaching upon Egypt. Above all else is G.F. Handel's wondrous music, including some of his best arias, impeccably played by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment led by estimable Baroque specialist William Christie.

A splendid cast has been assembled starting with British mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly who transforms herself most convincingly into a stalwart male for the title role. Performing in an especially low Baroque pitch, Connolly sings superbly while perfectly evoking the swagger of a warrior. With her stunning coloratura, she hits the expected high points without disappointment - Act I's "Va tacito e nascosto"; Act II's casually lyrical "Se in fiorito ameno prato" competing with a virtuoso violin solo by Nadja Zwiener; and Act III's "Aure, deh, per pieta" when Caesar returns to Egypt after his escape from Tolomeo. As Cleopatra, 25-year old Australian-American soprano Danielle de Niese is a ravishing presence along the lines of Angelina Jolie. Physically ideal in a variety of eye-catching costumes, she handles the character's diverse sequence of arias with aplomb - Act II's "V'adoro, pupille" in the guise of a goddess prepared to entertain Caesar; the moving "Se pietà di me non senti" later in Act II; and of course, Act III's "Piangerò la sorte mia" as she laments her defeat by Tolomeo.

In another cross-dressing turn, German mezzo-soprano Angelika Kirchschlager makes Sesto's desires for revenge of his father's death most palpable, especially on the aria "Svegliatevi nel core"; and Irish mezzo-soprano Patricia Bardon is moving as Sesto's grief-stricken mother Cornelia, Pompey's widow. Their characters' much-anticipated duet, "Madre!...son nata a lagrimar", closes Act I in beautifully rendered style. Though clearly overshadowed, the men perform exceptionally - Moroccan countertenor Rachid Ben Abdeslam as Cleopatra's servant Nireno (especially on his comic song-and-dance, "Chi perde un momento", complete with a Supremes-like back-up group); French countertenor Christophe Dumaux as Cleopatra's treacherous brother Tolomeo; and British baritone Christopher Maltman as Tolomeo's general, Achilla, who bravely switches sides only to meet a ghastly fate. Helping considerably in defining the various characters are Brigitte Reiffenstuel's often clever costumes, as well as the animated choreography, partially inspired by Bollywood musicals, by "movement director" Andrew George.

Commensurate with the stellar production, Opus Arte has provided a strong set of extras in the DVD package. On the first disc, there is a helpful synopsis that uses snapshots of the performance to explain the complex storyline. Of more interest is a half-hour featurette called "Danielle de Niese and the Glyndebourne Experience", which spotlights the gorgeous soprano in an informal portrait similar to MTV's "Cribs" series. A naturally telegenic personality, she gives a tour of her rented cottage, drives to the venue, strolls with Glyndebourne executive chairman Gus Christie and shows how she prepares for the role. On the third disc is the more substantive, one-hour documentary, "Entertainment Is Not a Dirty Word", directed by Ferenc van Damme, in which McVicar, Christie, Connolly, de Niese, Kirchschlager and George lend behind-the-scenes insight on the production and discuss at length the freedom allowed by this newest interpretation. There are also slideshows of the rehearsals and the final production on the third disc.

An opera performance that includes the musical insights of conductor William Christie and the imaginative production values of Glyndebourne can hardly fail, and the performance of Handel's "Giulio Cesare" captured on this new 3 DVD set succeeds admirably. The entire cast sings and acts with excellence, but I feel compelled to praise the brilliant and beautiful young American soprano Danielle de Niese, whose gorgeously costumed Cleopatra--an impudent sexy adolescent Queen of Egypt, married by Egyptian custom to her brother Ptolemy and locked with him in a violent struggle for sole possession of the throne--develops into a woman maturely in love with the Roman conqueror Julius Caesar. Sarah Connolly is totally convincing in the trouser role of Caesar (written by Handel for a castrato), and sings with true bel canto viruosity. In the orchestra pit, The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment provides an exemplary accompaniment. The setting and costumes for the story have been updated to the 19th century: Roman soldiers are dressed as British redcoats, guns are fired, modern battleships float on the waters of the backdrop. This also is convincing; colonialism and imperialism remain much the same from the time of the Roman conquests to the time of the Suez Canal and beyond. Despite these anachronisms, Baroque music performance style is observed and the repeated sections of da capo arias are expertly embellished. With this production, the Glyndebourne directors intended explicitly to entertain the audience as well as to satisfy the experienced music lover; they succeeded. The opera itself is one of Handel's finest. Audio for the DVD is superb high fidelity, video is brilliant high definition. Extra documentary features offer interesting glimpses behind the scene at Glyndebourne. A literate and lavishly illustrated booklet is enclosed with the boxed set. The price for all of this is remarkably reasonable. What more could you wish for?

I have 100+ opera dvds and this is probably THE best one, for all around singing, acting, costumes, sets, and pure entertainment. Yes, it makes an excellent audio recording to enjoy over and over, but you will also find yourself watching it over and over too, because it is such a good show.

Connolly pulls off Cesare as well or better than any man ever did. Her coloratura is very pleasing and the voice well-balanced. The Cleopatra sings beautifully, is gorgeous to look at, and is quite a dancer as well. The Tolomeo is also quite light on his feet - he even does a complete flip during one scene. It's like he's a singer-slash-gymnast. He has a noticeable break to the voice but seems to use it almost as an advantage rather than a negative.

The singer of Sesto seems a wee bit uncomfortable with this music occasionally. She has a fairly noticeable break to the voice on the fast bits, but her 'Cara Speme' is to die for - the audience seemed to appreciate it too. Also the Achilla was occasionally a bit blustery and off the mark on the coloratura, but not entirely sloppy. For the most part, he was quite acceptable. The direction was fantastic. I finally found an opera dvd where it appears that the director actually knew more about the opera than I did! How refreshing. For instance, he has the singers do some simple little dance-steps during 'Va tacito...' where it really emphasizes how Cesare and Tolomeo are squaring off for a big conflict. And yet no singer seemed to be doing anything they were not comfortable with.

It is set in colonial Egypt under English rule, around the turn of the twentieth century. In my mind, this setting is a great historical witticism. Great choice.

There is plenty of humor in the direction, but rarely poor taste. Finally, they are figuring out how to present Handel operas with both taste and entertainment-value!

This is a wonderful video - just buy it.

As an opera fan, in the last 30 years I have seen hundreds of productions, of all kinds of operas, all over the world; however I can attest that this 2005 Handel's Giulio Cesare by the Glyndebourne Opera, is one of the best ever. It is quite common to find lots of ghastly Eurotrash productions of Handel's operas, in spite, sometimes, of the great singers involved. These "contemporary" approaches, using cheap jokes and absurd sceneries and costumes, are commonly found in most European theaters that are trying to "rescue" Handel's extensive theatrical work. For instance, David Alden's approach to Rinaldo (Munich) and Ariodante (ENO) are a sort of insult, rather than a rescue, to the greatness of Handel's music and to talented singers like David Daniels, Deborah York and Ann Murray. It requires a real genius to stage, in a dignified and actual way, one of these operas regarded by some people as museum pieces. Contrary to Mr. Alden, I think that David McVicar, director of this Giulio Cesare, is 100% worth of Handel's genius. He is not alone though, in fact he is well backed by a crew of terrific singers (specially Sarah Connolly and the beautiful and amazing Danielle De Niese), by a precise orchestra (The age of enlightenment conducted by William Christie), the magical sets and dazzling costumes of Robert Jones and Brigitte Reiffenstuel and the movements on stage by Andrew George. All these elements are perfectly balanced to make more enjoyable (almost divine) the already fantastic music of this opera. In other productions like Alden's Rinaldo and Ariodante you have to shut your eyes to enjoy the music without the nasty burlesque interference of the stage director, by the contrary, in this Giulio Cesare you forget, at times, that the stage production was adapted to the music and no the other way around. I highly recommend this set of 3 DVDs packed in a luxurious case. The extras are great too, specially the review of the plot. When I got them I tried a "quick" check in my home theater, I got immediately hooked to it and, without even noticing, I went through the almost 4 hours of opera. It is noteworthy the believable acting of the singers, which is not common in traditionally rigid baroque operas, this conveys a dynamic rhythm to the whole plot. I never ever before, in a Handel's opera, cared too much about the plot or root at all for the characters. In this production thogh, I really got involved with the tragedy of Cornelia and Sestus, the sometimes hilarious and sometimes passional (but always enchanting) Cleopatra and the evil maneuverings of Ptolomeo and Achilla. Quite a great, delightful and integral experience indeed.

Having been to the production at Glyndebourne in 2005, and the revival this year I am pleased to say this is a terrific and true reproduction. Sound is wonderful in both stereo and DTS, with very effective sound staging and balance between singers and orchestra. Visually it's wonderful too, though some of the closer shots are a bit shocking if you are used to viewing from afar; it would be good if OPUS could use the DVD features that enable the viewer to choose their own preferred camera angle. As for the Opera production and cast, then as near to perfect as I've ever experienced anywhere (including the Met, Covent Garden, Glyndebourne or Sydney) of Handel or indeed anything sub-Wagnerian. The Age of Enlightenment create a beautiful complement to first rate singing (none were bettered by this years cast - Daniels included) and the McVicar production a brilliant bridge of entertainment and emotion. Laughed and cried at almost every scene.

I will admit that baroque music is not one of my favorite. However, I'm quite attached my DVD's of Handel opera's from Munich productions, quirky though they be. But this one goes to the very top of the list by a mile. I won't repeat all the plaudits from others except to say that if you only buy one Handel opera on DVD, it should be this one. It's 5+ stars regardless of what aspect you talking about.

All the other reviewers have raved about almost everything about this production (and with good reason). But no one has mentioned the wonderful camerawork; so I thought I would. Just as bad camerawork and editing can spoil an otherwise first rate production (cf Lucie de Lammermoor), the excellent visuals of this DVD add yet another layer to enhance this superb production. There is no credit given, so I presume that it was under the control of David McVicar who conceived and directed the stage production. This production cannot be recommended highly enough.