Handel’s Giulio Cesare celebrates its 300’th birthday this year and David McVicker’s Glyndebourne production (on its fourth revival) is just short of a quarter century old. But it still looks fresh, pin-sharp, and remains among the finest productions of any opera I’ve seen. It’s one of those productions (like the Cox/Hockney Rakes Progress) by which all others must compete, and thus far, fall short.
Updated to the British colonisation of Egypt in the 1880’s, the Romans are the Brits, in red tunics and pith helmets, and the Egyptians slinky Ottomans in fez and silks. The opera should really be called ‘Cleopatra’, for her eight arias all but steal the show, encompassing a huge range from playful coquette to profound contemplations on destiny, loss and love, gloriously performed by Louise Alder. McVicker famously solved the problem of how to prevent the da capo form from juddering into stasis by incorporating Bollywood inspired dance routines that both entertain and enhance the context (e.g. the stately pulse of ‘va tacito’ is a superb display of cagey diplomacy rended into movement). The cast has now entirely evolved away from that of the premier, but is without weakness or any flaw. The OEA were in magnificent form under Laurence Cummings, the natural horns quite thrilling and the pacing throughout, a long show, is perfect. Kati Debretzeni duetting and riffing jazzily on the violin with Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen’s Cesare was just one display of astonishing musicianship in a succession of knockout arias. Get a ticket if you can, it’s a joy.
Updated to the British colonisation of Egypt in the 1880’s, the Romans are the Brits, in red tunics and pith helmets, and the Egyptians slinky Ottomans in fez and silks. The opera should really be called ‘Cleopatra’, for her eight arias all but steal the show, encompassing a huge range from playful coquette to profound contemplations on destiny, loss and love, gloriously performed by Louise Alder. McVicker famously solved the problem of how to prevent the da capo form from juddering into stasis by incorporating Bollywood inspired dance routines that both entertain and enhance the context (e.g. the stately pulse of ‘va tacito’ is a superb display of cagey diplomacy rended into movement). The cast has now entirely evolved away from that of the premier, but is without weakness or any flaw. The OEA were in magnificent form under Laurence Cummings, the natural horns quite thrilling and the pacing throughout, a long show, is perfect. Kati Debretzeni duetting and riffing jazzily on the violin with Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen’s Cesare was just one display of astonishing musicianship in a succession of knockout arias. Get a ticket if you can, it’s a joy.
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