Added: Mar 14, 2010
From: mariandelochs
Duration: 9:29
First of *selected* excerpts from the English National Opera's production of Georg Friedrich Händel's 'Julius Caesar' ('Giulio Cesare in Egitto') [1984]. This version uses an excellent English translation by Brian Trowell of the libretto from the Italian original by Nicola Haym. Productions such as this one make a strong case for viable - nay, enjoyable and intelligible - English-language versions of non-English language operas. Dame Janet Baker leads an excellent cast in performing this Baroque masterpiece, and holds forth marvellously, dispensing with aplomb ornamentations galore - besides creating a more three-dimensional Cesare. In this excerpt, Cesare's praises are sung by the crowds, and he receives through Achilla a grisly gift from Ptolemy, the Egyptian king. He also meets Cornelia and Sextus, mother and son, respectively, of the late General, Pompey. Julius Caesar . . . Janet Baker Cornelia . . . Sarah Walker Sextus . . . Della Jones Chorus & Orchestra of the English National Opera Victor Morris, Chorus Master Charles Mackerras, Conductor John Copley, Producer (Director) Recorded at Limehouse Studios in 1984 in London's Docklands ==========
Channel: Music
Rating: 4.428571' max='5' min='1' numRaters='14' rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#overall ( ratings) Views: 5399 Comments: 5
mariandelochs Says:
Mar 17, 2010 - Oh !!! You got to see it LIVE !!! Yes, I do agree Dame Janet and Valerie are excellent as Caesar and Cleopatra, respectively - a team that remains hard to beat even today. I certainly like Masterson's coquettish yet dignified Cleopatra more than those in current stagings!
meyerhoff31 Says:
Mar 18, 2010 - @mariandelochs . I agree, Cleopatra is often made a bit too overtly sexy these days and although she was a determined young woman I feel she should retain some dignity, and I think V.M. gets it about right.
mariandelochs Says:
Mar 18, 2010 - @meyerhoff31 After all, Cleopatra was still a queen! (And not a harlot!)
meyerhoff31 Says:
Mar 19, 2010 - Absolutely!, a little naive, due to her youth but she knew her destiny and fought for it. Falling in love with Cesare threw her off course a bit, but she rallied and found her place.
. . . . . . . because these video appear directly from youtube.com which we cannot control it.)
meyerhoff31 Says:
Mar 17, 2010 - This was made for TV viewing, but I saw it on stage, it is stylized in a way that Handel would have recognised, but never the less it came over as a strong piece of theatre and ofcourse Dame Janet and Valerie Masterson were superb