Cerys Whiles

One of Handel’s most-loved and frequently-performed operas, Giulio Cesare in Egitto tells the story of Caesar’s unification of the Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt, culminating in his triumphant marriage to Queen Cleopatra, but not before he has narrowly escaped death, vanquished the evil pharaoh Tolomeo, defeated his armies, and rescued his new bride from certain doom. 

Set against the backdrop of the Roman Civil War, the opera opens with an aria in celebration of Caesar’s victory over Pompey, after which we see Pompey’s widow and son supplicating the conquering hero. Cesare straddles a fine line between domestic drama and crisis of state, knitting together the tumultuous familial conflicts with the wider civil strife erupting throughout Egypt. David McVicar’s 2005 production of Cesare, a Glyndebourne classic revived in 2018, reimagines the opera within the context of the British empire, proving that its themes resonate no less with contemporary audiences, indeed even more so. Imperialism, factionalism, and conspiracy abound at the national level, in stark contrast to the piteous familial struggles that wrack both the Egyptian royal house and the family of Pompey the Great. 

“With full orchestra onstage, Cesare promises to be an evening no less impressive for its musical excellence than its ambitious staging.”

Cesare seems to fuse together many classical genres of plot: Caesar’s and Cleopatra’s steamy affair emerges as something out of troubadour poetry, as the Queen conceals her identity and dresses up in the guise of ‘Lidia’; Sesto’s character development echoes that of Shakespearean or Jacobean revengers; Tolomeo, a caricature of the arch-tyrant, seems a melting pot of stereotypically tyrannic traits, including quickness to violence and serial seduction. We are pushed to the extremes of human emotion, from life and love to death and despair; fortune never stays constant, fate always has the last laugh. We see this mutability of human fortune vividly in Handel’s variable and vibrant musical score: the jubilant aria Va tacito gives way to the lovelorn yearnings of Achilla; Sesto’s aria of revenge and retribution, Svegliatevi nel core, cedes to Cleopatra’s teasing and playful Non disperar. With full orchestra onstage alongside the principals and chorus, Cesare promises to be an evening no less impressive for its musical excellence than its ambitious staging. 

Co-directed by Louisa Stuart-Smith and Aïda Lahlou, this production of Cesare still retains an authentic feel, still situated in pharaonic Egypt, with sensitive set design – right down to the observation of the Romans’ crematory customs – but with full baroque orchestra, in the dreamy surroundings of Trinity College Chapel. Consciously referencing other recent productions, Cesare promises to be a strikingly innovative and modern ‘take’ on a Handelian classic. With a cast no less worthy of acclaim, Anna-Luise Wagner inhabits the role of Cleopatra, with Stuart-Smith taking on the titular (and challenging) mezzo part. 


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What, then, distinguishes their production of Cesare? Apart from the ambitiousness of a student music society undertaking to stage this romp of an opera, Lahlou and Stuart-Smith have been keen to bring out the emotional highs and lows of the libretto, the dramatic contrasts, the energy of the score, and have placed especial emphasis on character interaction and development. First and foremost, they have worked their production around the space in Trinity Chapel, blocking scenes so as to be inkeeping with the building’s spaces, while observant of the multifarious benefits and challenges that such a venue presents. On the whole, then, a carefully formulated production sensitive to the performance space. 

Cesare, therefore, should be an evening of spectacular music-making, exploiting the emotion and rawness of Handel’s libretto to the utmost, with singing and musicality of the highest standards. A novel and thoughtful interpretation, with clever set design and staging, audiences can expect to be dazzled by the visuals and serenaded in this wonderful Tudor-Gothic space. And, for all those theatre buffs out there, be well assured the drama and pathos of the score have not been sacrificed for music’s sake. Cesare promises to be a celebration of opera, a fusion of music and theatre, at its very best. 

Giulio Cesare in Egitto will be showing at Trinity College Chapel at 8pm, Friday 15th and Saturday 16th November