BaL 10.12.11 - Handel's Julius Caesar

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30 Building a Library: Sarah Lenton with with a personal recommendation from the available recordings of Handel's Giulio Cesare in Egitto

[I]Available versions:[/I]

Beverly Sills: Soprano (Cleopatra), Beverly Wolff: Mezzo-Soprano (Sextus), Maureen Forrester: Contralto (Cornelia), William Beck: Baritone (Curio), Dominic Cossa: Baritone (Achillas), Norman Treigle: Bass Baritone (Julius Caesar), Michael Devlin: Bass Baritone (Nirenus), Spiro Malas: Bass (Ptolemy), Eugenia Earle & Julius Rudel: Harpsichord
New York City Opera Orchestra & New York City Opera Chorus, Julius Rudel

Martine Dupuy (Cesare), Patrizia Orciani (Cleopatra), Josella Ligi (Sesto), Raquel Pierotti (Cornelia), Susanna Anselmi (Tolomeo), Giuseppe de Matteis (Curio), Pietro Spagnoli (Achilla), Sara Mingardo (Nireno)
Orchestra Pro Arte Bassano, Marcello Panni

Walter Berry (Giulio Cesare), Lucia Popp (Cleopatra), Christa Ludwig (Cornelia), Fritz Wunderlich (Sesto), Karl Christian Kohn (Tolomeo), Hans Günther Nöcker (Achilla), Hans Bruno Ernst (Curio), Max Proebstl (Nireno)
Münchner Philharmoniker, Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Ferdinand Leitner (sung in German)

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Giulio Cesare), Tatiana Troyanos (Cleopatra), Júlia Hamari (Cornelia), Peter Schreier (Sesto), Franz Crass (Tolomeo), Ernst Gerold Schramm (Achilla), Wolfgang Schöne (Curio), Michael Schopper (Nireno)
Münchener Bach-Chor & Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter

Kristina Hammarström (Cesare), Emanuela Galli (Cleopatra), Mary-Ellen Nesi (Sesto), Irini Karaianni (Cornelia), Romina Basso (Tolomeo), Tassis Christoyannis (Achilla), Petros Magoulas (Curio), Nikos Spanatis (Nireno)
Orchestra of the Patras (period instruments), George Petrou

Marijana Mijanovic (Giulio Cesare), Magdalena Kožená (Cleopatra), Anne Sofie von Otter (Sesto), Charlotte Hellekant (Cornelia), Bejun Mehta (Tolomeo), Alan Ewing (Achilla)
Les Musiciens du Louvre, Marc Minkowski

Dame Janet Baker (Julius Caesar), Valerie Masterson (Cleopatra), Della Jones (Sextus), Sarah Walker (Cornelia), James Bowman (Ptolemy), John Tomlinson (Achillas), Christopher Booth-Jones (Curio), David James (Nirenus)
English National Opera Orchestra, English National Opera Chorus, Sir Charles Mackerras

Jennifer Larmore (Giulio Cesare); Barbara Schlick (Cleopatra); Bernarda Fink (Cornelia); Marianne Rørholm (Sesto); Derek Lee Ragin (Tolomeo); Furio Zanasi (Achilla); Dominique Visse (Nireno) & Olivier Lallouette (Curio)
Concerto Köln, René Jacobs

Kostas Paskalis (Giulio Cesare), Montserrat Caballé (Cleopatra), Huguette Tourangeau (Cornelia), Frederic Mayer (Sesto), Amin Feres (Tolomeo)
American Opera Society Orchestra, Arnold Gamson

Yvonne Kenny (Cleopatra), Graham Pushee (Giulio Cesare), Andrew Dalton (Tolomeo), Elizabeth Campbell (Sesto), Rosemary Gunn (Cornelia), Stephen Bennett (Achilla), Richard Alexander (Curio), Rodney Gilchrist (Nireno)
Australian Opera & Ballet Orchestra, Richard Hickox (DVD)

Janet Baker (Giulio Cesare), Valerie Masterson (Cleopatra), Sarah Walker (Cornelia), Della Jones (Sesto), James Bowman (Tolomeo), John Tomlinson (Achilla)
Orchestra and Chorus of the English National Opera, Charles Mackerras, stage direction by John Copley (sung in English) (DVD)

Flavio Oliver (Cesare), Elena de la Merced (Cleopatra), Ewa Podles (Cornelia), Maite Beaumont (Sesto), Jordi Domènech (Tolomeo)
Orquestra Simfónica i Cor del Gran Teatre del Liceu, Michael Hofstetter, stage direction by Herbert Wernicke (DVD)

Andreas Scholl (Giulio Cesare), Inger Dam-Jensen (Cleopatra), Randi Steene (Cornelia), Tuva Semmingsen (Sesto), Christopher Robson (Tolomeo), Palle Knudsen (Achilla) & James Huw Jeffries (Nireno)
Concerto Copenhagen, Lars Ulrik Mortensen (DVD)

Jeffrey Gall (Giulio Cesare), Susan Larson (Cleopatra), Mary Westbrook-Geha (Cornelia), Lorraine Hunt (Sesto), James Maddalena (Achilla), Drew Minter (Tolomeo), Cheryl Cobb (Nirena) & Herman Hildebrand (Curio)
Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, Craig Smith (DVD)

Hans Hotter (Giulio Cesare), Walter Geisler (Sesto), Dagmar Herrmann (Cornelia), Rudolf Bockelmann (Achilla), Walburga Wegner (Cleopatra), Sigmund Roth (Tolomeo) & Carl Bay (Nireno, Curio)
Hamburg Radio, Hans-Schmidt Isserstedt (sung in German)

Sarah Connolly (Cesare), Danielle de Niese (Cleopatra), Angelika Kirchschlager (Sesto), Christophe Dumaux (Tolomeo), Patricia Bardon (Cornelia), Christopher Maltman (Achilla) & Rachid Ben Abdeslam (Nireno)
The Glyndebourne Chorus & Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, William Christie (conductor) & David McVicar (stage director) (Blu Ray and DVD)

[Nick Armstrong]

Going to enjoy this. I only own the Jacobs set.

Have we heard from Sarah Lenton before? Wonder who she is.... Quick search shows her writing books, programme notes about opera.

[aeolium]

I'm looking forward to this too, as I love this work. Is it likely that much attention will be paid to the older performances, given that period instruments are pretty much de rigeur for Handel nowadays (unlike, e.g. for Beethoven symphonies)? It will be a shame if there are not excerpts from some of those older versions - especially for instance that Leitner version with what sounds like a stunning cast (though sung in German). I'm sure the well-known ENO/Mackerras recording will get a few mentions, though the fact that it is sung in English may well prove a drawback for many.

Incidentally, did Wunderlich sing any Handel in Italian - I have a recording of Xerxes taken from a live performance in which he sang, and again it is in German?

[Nick Armstrong]

I made myself a minidisc (back in the day!!) and then an iPod playlist of all Cleopatra's arias from the Jacobs set - it made a great emotional sequence, some of Handel's best stuff I think Always thought it would make a great showpiece album for the right soprano.

Then someone else had the same idea... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Natalie-Dess...2827310&sr=1-1 Keep meaning to try it, anyone own this??

[aeolium]

Cleopatra's "Se pietà di me non senti" is for me one of Handel's most wonderful arias - those plangent bassoons are so effective (and affecting).

But there are many other glorious arias in this work apart from Cleopatra's - Caesar's "Va tacito e nascosto" for instance.

When I saw the filmed version of the Glyndebourne production at a cinema shortly after its release, the 4+ hours just flew by and I came out completely drained. Tremendous stuff.

[Biffo]

I recall the Richter version (wth DF-D in the title role) was described by Gramophone as a 'dark-brown mudbath' as so many high roles had been transposed downwards. The DG set 'The Art of Fritz Wunderlich' contains seven Handel numbers (4 from Serse and 3 from Giulio Cesare) all sung in German.

[Belgrove]

The Glyndebourne DVD is a delight. Almost certainly it will offend purists, but the work is a theatrical piece and not a museum artefact. The production was premiered in 2005, when Iraq was still occupied, so replacing Roman Imperialism with British makes a valid point, and provides the opportunity glorious and entirely unexpected visuals. Musically it is strong in every department. If any production can convert sceptics to da capo aria in opera, this is it. I recall the Proms staging was a triumph too.

[MickyD]

I've enjoyed the Jacobs version ever since it came out, but I will be keen to hear how the Minkowski fares....it had good reviews when it came out and I've often been tempted to acquire it.

[vinteuil]

I've enjoyed the Jacobs version ever since it came out, but I will be keen to hear how the Minkowski fares....it had good reviews when it came out and I've often been tempted to acquire it.

... them's exactly my sentiments, Micky!

[MickyD]

We'll just have to wait and see, Vinteuil. But I daresay it won't take much persuasion for me to get the Minkowski...I love his versions of Ariodante and Hercules.

[french frank]

The Glyndebourne DVD is a delight. Almost certainly it will offend purists, but the work is a theatrical piece and not a museum artefact.

One of the two DVDs I possess (the other is The Cabinet of Dr Caligari), and it's a wonderful spectacle. Connolly seems the most masculine of performances - she convinces in a way that countertenors like Scholl who I've seen on video clips don't. She's a wonderful actor. The choreography of Va tacito is hugely entertaining. But, yes, it's long ...

[Nick Armstrong]

This will complement very nicely the excellent France Musique "Tribune des Critiques" programme last weekend about Handel's "Agrippina" - neck and neck finish for the classic Gardiner and the brand new Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin recording under René Jacobs. Some fascinating comparisons.

[verismissimo]

Janet Baker with Mackerras. At her peak in this.

[Nick Armstrong]

Just 'bumping' this thread in readiness for the programme this morning, by saying that my favourite recording of a single aria from GC is probably "Va tacito" sung by Andreas Scholl but featuring a splendiferous performance on horn by Christian-Friedrich Dallmann of the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin (Harmonia Mundi), the two soloists egging each other on with ever more cocky ornamentation towards the end. Always gives me a smile and goose-bumps!

[DracoM]

Why have the many, many miles of Handelian 'opera' become such revered things?

The man churned them out, re-wrote them, tinkered and re-cast etc. It's just clever musical wallpaper while the audiences talked about life, the universe and their dresses and latest amours.

WHY? I just do not get it.