Handel - Giulio Cesare (Glyndebourne Opera Festival 2006) | 
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| Directors: David Mcvicar, Robin Lough
Actors: William Christie, Sarah Connolly, Angelika Kirchschlager, Danielle De Niese, Christophe Dumaux
Studio: Opus Arte
Category: DVD
List Price: $49.99
Buy New: $32.05
You Save: $17.94 (36%)
New (24) Used (7) from $32.05
Rating:  26 reviews
Sales Rank: 42964
Format: Anamorphic, Box Set, Dts Surround Sound, Ntsc, Subtitled
Languages: Italian (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), German (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Italian (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 0
Discs: 3
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number Of Discs: 3
Running Time: 233 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 950
UPC: 809478009504
EAN: 0809478009504
ASIN: B000ESST6U
Theatrical Release Date: April 1, 2006
Release Date: May 16, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW!
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
There's a chance that purists will be very unhappy with director David McVicar's production of this Baroque masterpiece; there's also an equal chance that they'll be so vastly entertained that all criticisms will be beside the point. Updated to the years before World War I, Caeser's troops are British soldiers come to colonize Egypt, the latter being a place filled with exoticisms in the form of acres of billowing silk, flashy costumes, and full-blown song and dance numbers a la Bollywood (featuring sex-kitten Cleopatra and her minions). It's not only funny/campy, it also makes a certain internal sense. The razzle-dazzle is laid aside for the personal tragedy of Cornelia and Sesto (Patricia Bardon and Angelika Kirchschlager, respectively)--here portrayed as a beaten-down woman in a pathetic rage and a son on the verge of insanity--and for Caeser's and Cleopatra's more introspective moments. Caeser is mezzo Sarah Connelly, in firm voice and with the bearing of an emperor. Cleopatra is the 25-year-old American Daniele de Niese, ravishing in person and voice, with charisma, nerve, and talent in equal proportions. Countertenor Christopher Dumaux' bitchy-queen Tolomeo is remarkable, and the Achilles of bass Christopher Maltman is menacing. William Christie leads the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment with great spirit and dramatic thrust, and the production values---subtitles in major European languages and English, stereo and surround sound, and picture---are ideal. Extras include interviews with the director and singers and an up-close look at Danielle de Niese. This is a fascinating, grand entertainment that may just make new friends for Baroque opera. i---Robert Levine/i
Description
I have always adored Handel's music but when I first saw this production at Glyndebourne, it was a real revelation. An extraordinarily beautiful staging with real drama, but also full of humour and a great deal of dancing - Bollywood style! PDavid McVicar's take on Giulio Cesare left me completely stunned - I have never felt so many different emotions during one performance - it made me both laugh and cry in equal measure. In one scene you are deeply touched by the genuine torment the singers express and in the next, without undermining the story or the music, you delight in the humour and are uplifted by the enchanting dancing that seems to fit so perfectly with Handel's lively rhythms. PThe singing, acting and dancing of this all star cast is outstanding and is led by Sarah Connolly as a superb and very convincing Giulio Cesare. Danielle de Niese is a sexy, mesmerizing Cleopatra and a consummate singer/actress who steals the show (you can see more of her discussing this, her debut Glyndebourne performance, in the extra bonus features). William Christie draws rich and magical playing from the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, revealing the dramatic, lively and tender layers in Handel's luscious music. PIn the documentary feature McVicar says 'Entertainment is not a Dirty Word' and I absolutely agree with him. Opera was always meant to entertain and this production does just that! It is one of the few I can watch again and again and I highly recommend a night on the sofa with this DVD.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 21 more reviews...
 Animated Operaseria July 29, 2008
J. M. Hunt (Hatboro, PA USA)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Hardly the jejune form of opera that Gluck railed against. Much of the energy for this staging emanates from Danielle De Niese, who surely could charm a eunuch, in the role of Cleopatra. John McVickers is to be praised for this production; Christie also -- as usual.
 Every Glyndebourne does not glisten June 14, 2008
profred (New York, NY USA)
6 out of 9 found this review helpful
Giulio Cesare is not these days all that much of a rarity. So let's start by passing over in silence those noble early productions with bass and baritone Caesars who, however talented, were pitch inappropriate, and rarely capable of the florid work. The Caesar question then reduces to mezzo or countertenor. I greatly prefer the latter and since there are today many countertenors who perform the role, I am always saddened when conductors cast women. Even among female Caesars, Connolly is not really first-rate. If you require a woman, Janet Baker's magisterial performance is still available. The real problem with any production, however, is rarely the Caesar. The opera, after all, belongs to Cleopatra, and this is where the Glyndebourne production sinks to the bottom of the heap. Daniele de Niese is extraordinarily attractive, and her passage work is adequate. But Cleopatra is not primarily a sex kitten; if she were we would have not respect for Caesar's infatuation. She is a woman of real depth, and here the test is her seduction scene with its ravishing (and fantastically difficult) "V'adora pupille." De Niese here embarrasses. She cannot begin to negotiate the leaps in the vocal line, and as a result loses any hint of legato, let alone sensuality. I still await the perfect performance of this aria, while maintaining an idiosyncratic fondness for Valerie Masterson, Baker's Cleopatra, whose GS origins may have helped her to be alluring even while singing softly. In any case De Niese's version is one of the worse, and she wisely does not include it on her recent Handel disk. Do not get me wrong. I adore Christie, and he works his orchestral magic here as fully as elsewhere. But we all know that the Brits love their Glyndebourne. Beware then: this is a dreary performance, the kind that makes people hate Handel. Those who need a performance in modern sound should go to the Minkowski cds or one of the (less luminously recorded) DVDs. The rest of us will have to cobble together our perfect performance from bits and pieces of the many great recordings that already exist.
Handel at his best June 4, 2008
Gerry Houska (Innot Hot Springs, Far North Queensland, Australia)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The beautiful music of Handel is complemented by modern choreography. The performers are young and agile, as well as being wonderful singers. Opera the way I like it, a wonderful romp.
Stunning and solid June 1, 2008
A general reader (Irvine, CA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Just a quick summary: Visually stunning: at last a set with perspective and depth, if not decoratively rococo. The period has been shifted forward to the late end of the 18th, beginning of the 19th century--sort of Lord Nelson in Egypt. A DVD of a live production with satisfying camera work for those who love opera in the theatre first (unlike the Sellars Cesare, with its close-in camera and crotch shots with no sense of the stage as stage). Use of choreographed movement during ritornellos is clever, satisfying, and musical (though not 'historical'). Musically wonderful, forward-moving, as we've come to expect of Christie. Overall MUCH better singing than in the Sellars film or the Opera Australia (Francisco Negrin) production on DVD. Perhaps in Connolly as close to a satisfying woman singing the role of Cesare as we will get. Still some sillinesses, but apparently successful silliness judging by the audience chuckles. The singing in the other Negrin production (conducted by Mortensen) is also to treasure, if you prefer this opera in fatigues and more emphasis on cruelty.
Splendid Handel revival January 21, 2008
R. Huet (Haren, The Netherlands)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
During a youtube journey, I stumbled across this Opus Arte production. Intrigued by the evoking video clip, I bought the DVD. The reviewers were correct with their praise and critique. In addition, I found the sublime team effort utterly impressive: the whole cast, the director and conductor inspired each other obviously in this lively energetic perfomance. Age differences and cultural background of the performers were remarkable merged on the stage along with the sweeping music beat. Although still young (some critique her voice),de Niese is already a big stage personality with a inspiring demaneour. I found the vision to present Handel like this very convincing. A refreshing performance, you will talk about.
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