Handel: Giulio Cesare – The English Concert, Harry Bicket

Alexandria, 48 BC: Caesar lands in Egypt and is handed the severed head of his rival Pompey. What follows is an opera of power, revenge and seduction; Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy at war for the throne, Pompey’s widow and son bent on vengeance, and Cleopatra winning Caesar by disguise, appearing as Virtue among the Muses to sing him into love.

The English Concert and Harry Bicket continue their Handel series on Linn with this full, unabbreviated Giulio Cesare, written in 1724 for the castrato Senesino and the soprano Cuzzoni, and rarely recorded complete. Christophe Dumaux sings Caesar and Louise Alder is Cleopatra, with Beth Taylor, Paula Murrihy, John Holiday, Morgan Pearse, Meili Li and Thomas Chenhall. This recording is the culmination of an international tour. After the ensemble’s Carnegie Hall performance, The New York Times wrote: ‘This ensemble sets a standard for Handel performance.’