Handel: Giulio Cesare from the Met 27.4.13

[kernelbogey]

I'm enjoying this so far (missed Act I).

Pink and Perky as irritating as ever but enjoyed hearing Jay Hunter Siegfried in the interval. So odd hearing an opera singer with those Southern Gen'leman tones, but I suppose no more so than John Tomlinson's speaking voice.

[kernelbogey]

As there's a lot of audience laughter I assume that there is comic stage business. This is David McVicar's production for Glyndebourne.

The humour (which I can't see, obviously) reminds me of John Copley's ROH production of Semele which had a lot of laughs. Though I'm not sure whether this is appropriate: is it intended as some sort of modern sugar to coat a baroque pill?

[johnn10]

Sad to hear the BBC presenter make so many errors. For example he just said that the production updated the action from Handel's time to more recent times. Does he really think that Caesar, Cleopatra etc are characters from the 18th centutry?

[kernelbogey]

I think Ian Skelly, for it was he, was making a rather more subtle point about the production.

[johnn10]

Thats right -he was implying that the prodution had been updated from Handel's time -ie. the 18th century

[kernelbogey]

Which it was, having been written in the eighteenth century, not the first century BCE!

So what did you think of the performance, John? I liked it more and more as it went on. I wish I'd gone to the HD transmission at the local cinema.

[David-G]

I have seen this production at Glyndebourne several times. It is the finest production of a Handel opera that I have seen, and one of the finest productions of any opera that I have seen at Glyndebourne. I have always found it an immense pleasure, and it is therefore with keen anticipation that I am looking forward to seeing the repeat cinema transmission on Monday.

[An_Inspector_Calls]

This was shown at Cineworld last night. It was a superb production in just about every respect. There are cast changes from the Glynebourne production (which I haven't seen or heard) but the cast was nevertheless entirely wonderful. Even the sets were witty!

[doversoul1]

For those who did not see the original Glyndebourne production and are unable to see the cinema repeat:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orfVtWfHs2Q

Sarah Connolly (Cesare), Danielle de Niese (Cleopatra), Angelika Kirchschlager (Sesto), Christophe Dumaux (Tolomeo), Patricia Bardon (Cornelia), Christopher Maltman (Achilla) & Rachid Ben Abdeslam (Nireno)
(part 2 and 3 must be lurking nearby)

For those who are not so familiar with the work, here is the libretto (in German!! But the original and English translation available, too):

http://www.opera-guide.ch/opera.php?id=145&uilang=de

As for last night’s Met production, without the visual effects, I thought that David Daniels sounded somewhat laboured from time to time, and Alice Coote too much like a mature woman. However, I am sure I wouldn’t have notice any of these things if I’d been watching the stage. Christophe Dumaux sounded as distinct as ever.

More Handel please, or Baroque operas for that matter. If not from the Met, there are plenty around from other European TVs and radio stations.

[aeolium]

I saw it last night at a cinema and it did appear to be essentially the same production as that at Glyndebourne, with a few minor adjustments. I agree that it is a very fine production, and what McVicar has achieved is to address the challenge of a long baroque opera with all those potentially static da-capo arias and create a production with a high degree of movement (sometimes so much that I felt sorry for the poor singers), as well as visual tricks and humour. Some of those tricks do not work for me, like the dead Ptolemy and Achillas joining the toasts at the final wedding celebration, and a lot of comic business when Cleopatra is trying to get Caesar to flee from Ptolemy's soldiers - that just made her look silly and skittish and for me weakened the effect of the great tragic aria "Se pieta" which she sings immediately afterwards. But some of McVicar's set-pieces, like the ceremony around Va Tacito, work wonderfully - and what horn-playing in that aria!

Musically I thought it was better than the Glyndebourne production. I didn't notice the strain in Daniels' voice that doversoul heard, and magnificent though Sarah Connolly was at Glyndebourne, I think a counter-tenor suits the role better. De Niese at Glyndebourne had tremendous stage presence but her voice does not match Dessay's in this role. Patricia Bardon was superb as Cornelia and Alice Coote, though on this evidence rather wooden in her acting, sung well (I agree with ds that she sounded less boyish than Kirschlager in the Glyndebourne performance). Guido Loconsolo was a wonderfully menacing Achillas and to me sounded better than Maltman. The orchestra under Harry Bicket was on top form.

If I have a slight concern it is that, looking at this production and the recent Glyndebourne Rinaldo, I wonder whether it will be possible in the future to present any Handel opera as an opera seria rather than an opera where comic scenes and representations predominate - I suppose in tune with the taste of the age.

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

I slightly dreaded going to this, not because I don't adore the production (which I've seen in revival at Glyndebourne as well as on DVD) but because of Natalie Dessay. Anyone who saw last season's travesty of a Traviata will know the poor vocal estate she was in and reports from the opening night sounded horrific.

However: http://preview.tinyurl.com/MetCarryonCleoMP

[Belgrove]

I saw a repeat of this at the cinema today and agree with others that McVicker's Glyndebourne production (which also played at The Proms in 2005) is one of the finest productions of any opera I have witnessed. Gorgeous to look at, wonderfully entertaining (it's a work of theatre, let's not forget), and even subversive. The UK was in the midst of a post-imperial escapade in Iraq when this premiered. The ironies of McVicker's colonial take on the story slyly allude to the clashes in culture, the high-tech military hardware and the follies of beligerent actions without beating one about the head with it.

Overall the Glyndebourne cast and especially the playing of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under Williams Christie's direction trumped the Met's attempt in spades. Interesting to hear a counter-tenor take the role of Cesare (sounding distinctly pushed in the punishing two opening arias), he settled down thereafter, but Sarah Connolly is tough act to follow and was an altogether more virile Cesare. Patricia Bardon wrought despair and pathos from the role of Cornelia and although Alice Coote's Sesto was beautifully sung, I could not dismiss the thought of Billy Bunter whenever she entered. Christophe Dumaux's Ptolemy was the treacherous cad personified, why he even looked like Errol Flynn. The big disappointment was Natalie Dessay, she looked uncomfortable with the stage business required of her and certainly cannot slink and shimmy like Danielle de Niese, she's the Cleopatra for me.

It is an amazing score, one hit number after another. This was a joyous experience and a splendid way to spend a rather cold spring afternoon. Nice lunch during the interval too!

[jean]

It's worth checking with your local cinema when the repeat is on - at Fact in Liverpool it's next Tuesday.

Did anyone see the recent Opera North production?

[doversoul1]

Overall the Glyndebourne cast and especially the playing of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under Williams Christie's direction trumped the Met's attempt in spades. Interesting to hear a counter-tenor take the role of Cesare (sounding distinctly pushed in the punishing two opening arias), he settled down thereafter, but Sarah Connolly is tough act to follow and was an altogether more virile Cesare. Patricia Bardon wrought despair and pathos from the role of Cornelia and although Alice Coote's Sesto was beautifully sung, I could not dismiss the thought of Billy Bunter whenever she entered. Christophe Dumaux's Ptolemy was the treacherous cad personified, why he even looked like Errol Flynn. The big disappointment was Natalie Dessay, she looked uncomfortable with the stage business required of her and certainly cannot slink and shimmy like Danielle de Niese, she's the Cleopatra for me.

It is an amazing score, one hit number after another. This was a joyous experience and a splendid way to spend a rather cold spring afternoon. Nice lunch during the interval too!

I thought the orchestra was great (if not exactly better than the OAE). I was wondering how Harry Bicket managed to have the Met Opera Orchestra play like slightly expanded I Barocchisti. And countertenors have sung Cesare before: Lawrence Zazzo in the ENO production which was broadcast on R3 last year and which I was glad not to see:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/oct/02/julius-caesar-eno-review?INTCMP=SRCH

and:
Andreas Scholl has confirmed that a recording of the Bartoli/Salzburg 2012 production of Giulio Cesare

http://www.andreasschollsociety.org/news.htm

It is an amazing score for any weather or season!!