Afternoon at the Opera: Giulio Cesare

Tune in every Saturday at Noon, for The Metropolitan Opera hosted by Debra Lew Harder.

The world premiere of Giulio Cesare was a blockbuster, running for 13 performances. That was in London in 1724, when a new work mounted half a dozen times was considered a hit. George Frideric Handel had produced something extraordinary and unusual for its time: an opera with a plot based on history (albeit fictionalized), not mythology. Giulio Cesare tells the love story of Caesar and Cleopatra, two of the ancient world’s most famous characters, and its original production featured some of the greatest stars of the day, singing unprecedentedly luscious music. It was terrific entertainment. The Metropolitan Opera’s new production follows in that tradition. “Giulio Cesare is a kaleidoscope of an opera—a semi-comic, semi-tragic adventure story,” says director David McVicar. “You get romance, you get drama, you get moments of political wheeling-and-dealing, complex family relationships— as well as real emotion and tragedy.” McVicar’s staging, which originally premiered to popular and critical acclaim at England’s Glyndebourne Festival in 2005, incorporates elements of Baroque theater, British imperialism, and Bollywood-inspired dance moves. David Daniels, today’s leading countertenor, and soprano Natalie Dessay, one of opera’s greatest singing actresses, play the lead roles, with Baroque specialist Harry Bicket conducting.

Baroque opera is ruled by conventions that run counter to 21st-century expectations, and its sounds are a far cry from the familiar operatic hits of the Romantic era. The instrumentation is different. There are heroes who sing with high voices. And the opera’s formal structure, a sequence of set pieces tailored to showcasing the abilities of star vocalists, demands a different kind of listening from what even seasoned opera fans are used to. The activities in this guide will introduce your students to the sounds and sense of Baroque opera. For those who are less familiar with the history of Julius Caesar in Egypt than 18th-century Londoners were, it includes a primer to the quick-moving plot. 

ACT I

Scene 1: The royal court welcomes Cesare to Alexandria, the capitol city of Egypt.
Aria: “Presti omai l’egizia terra” (Cesare)
Scene 2: Pompeo’s wife and son, Cornelia and Sesto, ask Cesare to make peace with
Pompeo, and he agrees.
Scene 3: Achilla, commander of Egypt’s army, arrives with a gift for Cesare from
the Egyptian king, Tolomeo: Pompeo’s severed head on a platter. Cornelia faints.
Cesare, disgusted, calls for Pompeo’s head to be cremated, with its ashes placed in
a fine urn. He chastises Achilla and announces that he will pay a visit to King Tolomeo.
Aria: “Empio, dirò, tu sei” (Cesare)
Scene 4: Cornelia revives. Cesare’s general, Curio, offers his hand in marriage, vowing
to avenge Pompeo. Sesto insists that revenge will be his.
Aria: “Priva son d’ogni conforto” (Cornelia)
Aria: “Svegliatevi nel core” (Sesto)
Scene 5: In her chamber, Tolomeo’s sister, Cleopatra, tells her servant Nireno that
she intends to rule Egypt in her brother’s place. Nireno reports the incident of
Pompeo’s head. Cleopatra decides to offer Cesare a more appropriate welcome, a
step toward supplanting Tolomeo. She taunts her brother: even though he’s about
to lose power, he may yet find love.
Aria: “Non disperar, chi sa?” (Cleopatra)
Scene 6: Achilla reports back to Tolomeo on the angry reaction to Pompeo’s head,
announcing Cesare’s intention to pay Tolomeo a call. Achilla vows to kill Cesare—if
Tolomeo will reward him with Cornelia’s hand in marriage.
Aria: “L’empio, sleale, indegno” (Tolomeo)
Scene 7: Cesare pays tribute to the urn with Pompeo’s ashes. Curio announces a
visitor: a servant of Cleopatra named Lidia—who is actually Cleopatra in disguise.
Cesare falls in love with “Lidia” and agrees to help her steal the Egyptian throne.
Curio, too, decides to marry her should Cornelia refuse him. When Cesare and Curio
leave, Nireno tells “Lidia” that she’s succeeded in winning Cesare’s heart. She revels
in having outmaneuvered her brother, Tolomeo.

Scene 8: Cornelia comes to pay tribute to Pompeo’s urn. She swears vengeance, but
Sesto insists revenge is his duty alone. As they consider how to approach Cesare,
“Lidia” appears and offers to help.
Aria: “Cara speme, questo core” (Sesto)
Aria: “Tu la mia stella sei” (Cleopatra)
Scene 9: Cesare comes to see Tolomeo, who intends to have him killed.
Aria: “Va tacito e nascosto” (Cesare)
Scene 10: Cornelia and Sesto come to see Tolomeo. He immediately falls in love with
Cornelia. But when she charges him with her husband’s murder, he has them both
arrested. He lets Achilla believe that he can have Cornelia, then denies it under his
breath.
Scene 11: Achilla proposes to Cornelia, who rejects him. He sends Sesto to prison, but
holds Cornelia back.
Aria: “Tu sei il cor di questo core” (Achilla)
duet : “Son nato a lagrimar” (Cornelia)/”Son nato a sospirar” (Sesto)

ACT II

Scene 1: In a pleasure garden, Cleopatra sends Nireno to bring Cesare.
Aria: “Chi perde un momento” (Nireno)
Scene 2: Nireno advises Cesare to await “Lidia.” Cleopatra arrives, dressed as Virtue,
then disappears. Nireno assures Cesare that “Lidia” will receive him in her chambers
and bring him to Cleopatra.
Aria: “V’adore, pupille” (Cleopatra)
Aria: “Se in fiorito ameno prato” (Cesare)
Scene 3: Cornelia sings of her plight. Achilla offers to ease her pain in marriage, and
she tries to flee.
Scene 4: Tolomeo arrives. Achilla explains that he’s come to woo Cornelia, but she’s
spurned him. Tolomeo gloats, but again tells Achilla that Cornelia will be his if he
kills Cesare.
Aria: “Sì, spietata, il tuo rigore” (Tolomeo)
Scene 5: Cornelia decides to kill herself rather than marry Achilla. Fortunately, Sesto
(who has escaped from prison) and Nireno appear. Sesto reaffirms his vengeful
intent.
Scene 6: Nireno shocks Cornelia with the news that Tolomeo has ordered her to join
his concubines. But this, he says, will provide Sesto an opportunity to hide nearby
and kill Tolomeo. Sesto again swears vengeance.

Aria: “Cessa omai di sospirare!” (Cornelia)
Aria: “L’angue offeso mai riposa” (Sesto)
Scene 7: In the pleasure garden, “Lidia” feigns sleep and overhears Cesare talking
to himself about marrying her. She opens her eyes to say yes, startling Cesare. He
can’t marry a servant girl, he says. In that case, says “Lidia,” she’ll go back to sleep.
Aria: “Venere bella” (Cleopatra)
Scene 8: Curio rushes in to tell Cesare that Achilla’s assassins are in the palace and his
life is in danger. When Cesare says he will therefore leave Egypt, “Lidia” sits up to
stop him, amazing Cesare by admitting that she’s really Cleopatra. Cesare prepares
for war as his enemies close in. Cleopatra, seeing that she too is now in peril, swears
to fight Tolomeo as Cesare’s ally.
Aria: “Al lampo dell’armi” (Cesare)
Aria: “Se pietà di me non senti” (Cleopatra)
Scene 9: Standing among his concubines, Tolomeo chooses Cornelia. She rejects his
advances. Sesto prepares to attack.
Scene 10: Achilla grabs Sesto’s sword. He has come to tell Tolomeo that Cesare
and Curio have escaped into the sea. Cesare is presumed dead. Achilla asks for his
reward: Cornelia. The king refuses, infuriating Achilla.

ACT III

Scene 1: Achilla declares he will henceforth serve Cleopatra.
Aria: “Dal fulgor di questa spada” (Achilla)
Scene 2: After an initial victory against Cesare’s army, Tolomeo takes Cleopatra
captive.
Aria: “Domerò la tua fierezza” (Tolomeo).
Scene 3: Cleopatra, in chains, laments her fate.
Aria: “Piangerò la sorte mia” (Cleopatra)
Scene 4: Cesare lands safely ashore. He comes upon Sesto and Nireno, then Achilla,
who lies mortally wounded. Achilla, not recognizing the others, asks them to pass
one last message to Cornelia: He arranged Pompeo’s murder in order to marry
her. He then tells them an army stands ready nearby to attack Tolomeo. Sesto has
Achilla’s corpse tossed into the sea.
Aria: “Aure, deh, per pietà” (Cesare)
Scene 5: Cesare lays out his plan to rescue Cleopatra.
Aria: “Quel torrente che cade dal monte” (Cesare)

Scene 6: With Cesare living and Achilla dead, Sesto envisions his revenge.
Aria:“La giustizia ha già” (Sesto)
Scene 7: Cesare rescues Cleopatra.
Aria:“Da tempeste il legno infanto” (Cleopatra)
Scene 8: Tolomeo again advances on Cornelia. She pulls out a dagger to defend
herself.
Scene 9: Sesto arrives and insists upon being the one to kill Tolomeo. They fight, and
Sesto kills Tolomeo.
Aria: “Non ha più che temere” (Cornelia)
Scene 10: Cornelia and Sesto bring Tolomeo’s crown and sceptre to Cesare. He offers
Cleopatra the throne of Egypt. She accepts, but only under the authority of Cesare
and Rome. Celebration ensues.
Duet : “Caro! Più amabile beltà” (Cleopatra)/”Bella! Più amabile beltà” (Cesare)
Duet : “Un bel contento il sen già se prepara” (Cleopatra and Cesare)