Handel: Giulio Cesare (complete opera)

 
Handel: Giulio Cesare (complete opera) cover $80.00 Special Order
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GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL
Handel: Giulio Cesare (complete opera)
Louise Alder, Meili Li, John Holiday, Morgan Pearse, Christophe Dumaux / The English Concert, Harry Bicket

[ Linn Records / 3 CD Box Set ]

Release Date: Friday 18 September 2026

This item is only available to us via Special Order. We should be able to get it to you in 3 - 6 weeks from when you order it.

Alexandria, 48 BC: Caesar lands in Egypt and is handed the severed head of his rival Pompey. What follows is an opera of power, revenge and seduction; Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy at war for the throne, Pompey's widow and son bent on vengeance, and Cleopatra winning Caesar by disguise, appearing as Virtue among the Muses to sing him into love.

The English Concert and Harry Bicket continue their Handel series on Linn with this full, unabbreviated Giulio Cesare, written in 1724 for the castrato Senesino and the soprano Cuzzoni, and rarely recorded complete. Christophe Dumaux sings Caesar and Louise Alder is Cleopatra, with Beth Taylor, Paula Murrihy, John Holiday, Morgan Pearse, Meili Li and Thomas Chenhall. This recording is the culmination of an international tour. After the ensemble's Carnegie Hall performance, The New York Times wrote: 'This ensemble sets a standard for Handel performance.'

"Louise Alder's Cleopatra charts one of Handel's most satisfying dramatic journeys. Initially she sparkles with wit and effortless charm in 'Non disperar, chi sa?', delighting in the prospect of ensnaring Caesar through seduction. Yet by Act 3, in 'Piangerò la sorte mia', that playful confidence has dissolved into genuine tragedy. Alder allows the opening section to unfold with extraordinary poise, her long-breathed phrases never compromising vocal lustre, before unleashing the fury of the central episode. In her hands the aria becomes far more than a lament: it marks Cleopatra's complete emotional transformation." Gramophone Recording of the Month (Oct 26)

Tracks:

Giulio Cesare in Egitto, HWV 17