On April 4th the Metropolitan Opera's new production of Handel's "Giulio Cesare" will open.
The opera by Handel was written in 1724 and was first staged in 1725. The Baroque piece is one of the most famous operas by Handel and centers on the relationship between the famous emperor Julius Cesar and Queen Cleopatra of Egypt.
The production by David McVicar is the famous Glyndebourne staging that mixes cultures and includes Bollywood style dances. According to McVicar the opera is a semi serious-semi comic adventure story that takes the audience to a fictional account of Julius Cesar and Cleopatra's love affair. He also stated that it is one of his favorite operas and is one of the most enjoyable in the repertoire.
The production will star the famous countertenor David Daniels. The singer reprises his account of Giulio Cesare which he first sang in the John Copley production in 2007. Critics hailed him for his "agility, his clarion countertenor voice" and for his "incisive attack to the fiery passagework in the defiant arias." The countertenor last created the role of Prospero in the Baroque pastiche "The Enchanted Island."
Natalie Dessay will return to the Met after riveting audiences in her portrayal of Violetta Valery in "La Traviata" last season. The soprano known for her acting and vocal prowess stated that she was happy to do the production. She also stated that the role is very challenging because she is required to sing seven arias, many choreographed numbers and a duet.
The cast will also include Patricia Bardon, Alice Coote, Guido Loconsolo and Christophe Dumaux.
Baroque specialist Harry Bicket will return to the Met pit after a successful run of Handel's "Rodelinda" last season.
There will 10 performances of the piece with the April 27th performance broadcast in live in HD.