Handel: Giulio Cesare

Alexandria, 48 BC: Caesar lands in Egypt and receives the severed head of his rival Pompey. Out of this historical story grows an opera full of power struggles, revenge, and seduction: Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy vie for the throne, Pompey’s widow and son seek retribution, and Cleopatra wins Caesar over through guile by appearing as a virtue among the muses and inflaming him with love through her singing. With this complete, uncut recording of Handel’s Giulio Cesare, The English Concert and Harry Bicket continue their Handel series on Linn. The work was composed in 1724 for the castrato Senesino and the soprano Cuzzoni and has rarely been recorded in its entirety. Christophe Dumaux sings the title role of Caesar; Louise Alder is heard as Cleopatra. Other contributors include Beth Taylor, Paula Murrihy, John Holiday, Morgan Pearse, Meili Li, and Thomas Chenhall. This recording was the highlight of an international tour. After the ensemble’s performance at Carnegie Hall, the New York Times wrote: "This ensemble sets the standard for the performance of Handel’s music."