When Handel’s Giulio Cesare was first performed in London in 1724, it caused ripples in Georgian aristocratic circles. The poet John Byrom, however, was not so impressed. After enduring a performance of the celebrated opera, he proclaimed to his wife that ‘it was the first entertainment of this nature that I ever saw, and will I hope be the last.’ John and I are alike in being newcomers to the opera, but after having seen James Conway’s 2020 adaptation of Giulio Cesare, I am definitely less averse to returning.
The action in Giulio Cesare is based on the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar’s visit to Egypt and his romance with the Egyptian queen Cleopatra. The opening chorus is victorious and powerful: Caesar has defeated the forces of a rival Roman general, Pompey, on the banks of the River Nile. Pompey’s wife, Cordelia, begs for the life of her husband – to which Caesar agrees. But it’s too late: the Egyptian Achilla bursts onto the scene bearing the severed head of Pompey, a token gift from the chaotic and slightly unhinged King Tolomeo.
As the performance began to unfold, I wondered if the opera is outdated. Almost 300 years have passed since the first production of Giulio Cesare, and we’re no longer rolling up to the theatre in private carriages, wearing hooped petticoats and powdered wigs. Our social-media-stunted attention spans make it hard to focus on the complex plots and long arias. On top of this, it’s all sung in Italian with limited subtitles to follow.
When adapting classical works, some production companies resort to attention-grabbing techniques such as casting Benedict Cumberbatch as a cagoule-wearing Hamlet, or having Romeo pop up in Juliet’s DMs. However, I don’t think that Caesar and Cleopatra need to communicate on social media for the play to be relevant. Although going to the opera in the 21st century may feel anachronistic, the themes of the play – passion, revenge, power – hold a universal appeal. The beauty of Giulio Cesare resides not in the language but in the voice, music, body language, movement and facial expressions of its talented cast. It’s a high-octane cocktail of political conniving, sexual power relations and complex family relationships. Giulio Cesare isn’t new and exciting anymore, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be old and exciting.
The English Touring Opera is at the start of its spring tour of three different productions: Giulio Cesare, Il viaggio a Reims and Lucrezia Borgia. It is visiting Norwich, York, Durham, Chester, Cambridge, Snape Maltings, Canterbury, Cheltenham, Buxton, Leamington Spa and Exeter. More information here: https://englishtouringopera.org.uk/season/spring-2023?device=c&network=g&keyword=english%20tours&creative=514004296490&placement=&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2cWgBhDYARIsALggUhpwBUaVpCkZzM42CI4qUhucgbjUdV-6NaevdfKivs61oPLFLh6RFeoaAoFYEALw_wcB
