Giulio Cesare/Georg Friedrich Handel

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During the show, short-duration strobe lights will be used twice.

Theatre of the Warsaw Chamber Opera

Georg Friedrich Handel
Giulio Cesare
Opera in three acts
Libretto | Nicola Francesco Haym by Giacomo Francesco Bussani

Realizers
Music Management | Adam Banaszak

Directing and staging | Włodzimierz Nurkowski

Scenography and costumes | Anna Sekuła

Choreography | Wioletta Suska

Lighting design | Paweł Murlik

Multimedia | Adam Keller

Cast
GIULIO CESARE | John James Monovid

CLEOPATRA | Dorota Szczepanska

SESTO | Ray Chenez

CORNELIA | Joanna Motulewicz

POLOMEO | Nicholas Tamagna

ACHILLA | Artur Janda

NYRENO | Artur Plinta

CURIO | Lukasz Gorczynski

Dancers
Jakub Piotrowicz, Mateusz Sobczak, Jan Kosianko, Julia Dabrowska, Agata Kuczyńska, Klaudia Szmytka,

Weronika Wieczorkowska, Tymoteusz Rozbicki, Bartosz Wicher, Igor Musiewicz, Michał Góral

Vocal Ensemble of the Warsaw Chamber Opera
Vocal Band Manager | Alexander Ebert

Orchestra of Early Instruments of the Warsaw Chamber Opera

Musicae Antiquae Collegium Warsaw (MACV)
Conductor | Alessandro De Marchi

In the 18th century, the opera enjoyed a great boom. New works were constantly being created, but their lifespan was short. No one remembers what was created once. It was only important now, today. Dramma per musica Giulio Cesare in Egitto by Georg Friedrich Handel, despite its premiere success, ceased to exist for almost two centuries. The work was recalled only in 1922 during the Göttingen festival in the interpretation of Oscar Hagen.

Giulio Cesare in Handel's Egitto premiered on 20 February 1724 at the Royal Haymarket Theatre in London (in 1724 there were thirteen performances, a year later — ten, in 1730 — eleven). The libretto was written by Nicola Francesco Haym. The opera has three acts and thirty-one scenes. It takes place in a short period of time, between September 48 and March 47 BC, in a strictly defined place. Designated by the two choral tributes of the Egyptians, the framework of events had an actual place. Their detailed filling — in the form of recitatives, arias or duets — came largely from the creators. Giulio Cesare lasts almost four hours.

Caesar defeats Pompey and pursues him throughout Egypt. However, at the request of his wife Cornelia and son Sextus, he wants to make a settlement with him. He does not have time, for in a gift from the Egyptian ruler Ptolemy he receives the head of a rival who is already dead. The conflict between Caesar and Ptolemy wants to take advantage of Cleopatra, who fights with her brother for the Egyptian crown; in the guise of a servant Lydia, she visits Caesar in the camp and wins his favor. The Egyptian people conspire against Caesar, Pompey's wife and son want revenge. The first act ends up being thrown into the dungeon of Sextus and being locked up in the Seraius of Cornelius.

Cleopatra, disguised as Virtue on the hill of Parnassus, stages a mask-show in front of Caesar, thereby winning his love even more. The next meeting is interrupted by an attack of assassins: Caesar jumps into the depths of the sea and is pronounced dead. As a reward, Achillas expects his wish to be fulfilled, that is, to give him Cornelia. But King Ptolemy, himself in love with a Roman woman, sends him off with nothing, and mocks him. He orders a woman to be brought to his harem.

The third act begins with the victory of the Egyptians over the Romans and Cleopatra allied with them. Ptolemy imprisons his sister, wants to kill her. Mortally wounded in the battle, Achilles gives command of the army to Sextus, while passing on the secret of the secret passage to Ptolemy's palace. Caesar listens to the conversation; he sets off on a victorious counterattack. Sextus frees his mother and kills Ptolemy. In the harbor there is a triumphant proclamation of Caesar “signor del mondo e imperator romano” and Cleopatra “tributaria regina dell'Egitto”. Lovers promise each other eternal love, and Egypt rejoices in peace.

Handel's music is changeable, full of affection, passion and heat. It shimmers with different colors and rhythms: from sensuality and joy, through heroism and revenge, to sadness and pain. The driving force here is the constant contrast, devoid of schematics and monotony. You can hear this already in one of the first episodes, filled with so many different reactions to the news of Pompey's death. Caesar is furious (heroic aria “Empio, dirò, tu sei”), Cornelia wants to die (her aria “Priva son d'ogni confort” is a lament-cry, gentle and quiet), Sextus desires revenge (the aria “Svegliatevi nel core” is sharp, conducted in large jumps, in a variable rhythm), Achillas is under the spell of Cornelia, so does Kurius. And it all takes place in just a dozen minutes, in one small space. Beautiful, poignant and sensual.

“The action of Baroque operas, though varied and colourful, is not, contrary to appearances, a major factor — analysed musicologist Ewa Obniska. — Attaching great importance to arias seems a logical consequence of this state of affairs. [...] it was in arias that the feelings experienced by the heroes of operas could be fully expressed. Moreover, the role of the aria is conditioned by the very essence of the Baroque opera, which is a theatre of characters.

Giulio Cesare in Handel's Egitto talks mainly about desire. Strong, debilitating, pushing for immediate action, giving rise to violent reactions (and great singing). Everyone wants someone and something, right away, from the entrance. At the same time, everyone has a clearly defined goal. Cornelia desires death (first her own, then Ptolemy), Sextus wants to avenge her father and kill the king, Ptolemy and Cleopatra dream of power. Caesar coveted Cleopatra, Achilles and Ptolemy — Cornelius, as did Curius (although he would not despise Lydia, that is, Cleopatra disguised...). The only undefiled appears to be Nirenus, a servant and confidant of the Egyptian queen.

Dramma is also steeped in cruelty and death. An assassination attempt is being prepared for Caesar (he is saved by jumping into the sea), Cornelia and Sextus fight for their own lives, the young Roman tries to kill Ptolemy three times (the last time successfully), Achilles dies in the fight (not counting hundreds, thousands of soldiers), Cleopatra is also to die. And yet the work opens with the news of the bestial murder of Pompey and the passing of his head on a teddy bear. It is also cruel that they want to murder children, Ptolemy and Sextus. In the recitatives and arias of the latter, meaningful words appear every moment: “vendetta”, “morte”, “Traditor”. The first is perhaps explained by the name itself: the Greek 'ptolemaios' means' warrior '...

Love and happiness can only be apparent. Händel and Haym wrote their work with an awareness of history, its development and its end. They knew that Caesar had been murdered, brutally and by conspiracy. That Cleopatra was not his only chosen one, that she also died tragically. That their feeling, despite the power and passion, was based in a certain sense on the arrangement (Cleopatra, thanks to Caesar, won the crown). That Cleopatra could not be anyone's only wife, but a concubine and mistress, although probably the most wonderful. These were different times, morals and customs.

The music of Giulio Cesare in Egitto has many great places. Such as Sextus' revenge aria “Svegliatevi nel core”, “Tu sei il cor di questo core” by Achillas or the subsequent magnificent duet of Cornelia and Sextus “Son nata a lagrimar/Son nato a sospirar” from the end of the first act, the Ptolemaic “Si, spietata, il tuo rigore” from the second or “Domerò la tua fierezza” from the third act... But one thing must undoubtedly be emphasized: Händla's Giulio Cesare is not just “numbers”, recitatives and arias, separate and unrelated, existing for themselves. It is dense and dramatic music, saturated with emotion, intense and impulsive, dynamic, unfading from beat to beat. In need of great voices, a sensitive conductor, an open space.

Reviews

From the very first moment, the rearrangement draws the viewer into the whirlwind of the action taking place on the stage, and this is possible thanks to the thoughtful dynamic direction and excellent cast, which could - successfully - stand on the stages of many renowned theaters in the world. After the performance, the multi-minute loud standing ovation was fully justified...

Adam Czopek, okoliceopery.pl

The performance was refined in one step and one gesture [...] The spectator came to the theater in Solidarity Avenue to experience the indestructible greatness of Georg Friedrich Handel...

Małgorzata Komorowska, teatralny.pl

The set of soloists is well chosen [...] Dorota Szczepańska as Cleopatra — alternately sensual and desperate, mocking and in love, fighting and submissive. Her Queen had sex appeal and danceable lightness, combined with impeccable singing, the strengths of which are sonorous highs and light colorations...

Jacek Marczyński, ruchmuziczny.pl

Celebrating the 40th anniversary of his artistic work in the opera this year, Włodzimierz Nurkowski made a very good performance, in which he balanced comedy and tragic plots, brutality and cruelty with the joy of life and faith in the victory of good... Cleopatra was successfully portrayed by Dorota Szczepańska (soprano), a voice perfectly set, strong and busy. The singer captured Cleopatra's flirtatious note well...

Anna S. Dębowska, vybercza.pl