(Photo: ©Zani-Casadio)

In the autumn of 1709, as he was preparing to conclude his journey through Italy, George Frideric Handel triumphantly arrived in Venice to present his second Italian opera, “Agrippina.” The work was enthusiastically received by the audience, who acclaimed the composer with shouts of “Viva il Sassone!” (Long live the Saxon!) and with 27 performances that sealed its success. Thanks to this fame, he was appointed Kapellmeister in Hanover. Weeks later, he was commissioned to write another Italian opera for the Queen’s Theatre in London, giving life to “Rinaldo,” which premiered in 1711 in absolute triumph. By then, the passion for Italian opera had completely replaced English musical theatre in London.

In 1719, a group of nobles founded the Royal Academy of Music to finance opera production with adequate funds. Handel took on the role of “Master of Orchestra,” hiring the best Italian singers and collaborating with other composers in a kind of artistic co-production. Over the next twenty years, he wrote more than 30 operas in Italian, establishing London as the capital of this genre.

Handel invited Giovanni Bononcini to collaborate at the Academy, which sparked fierce competition. Bononcini presented in 1724 two new operas: “Farnace” and “Calfurnia.” In response, Handel premiered “Giulio Cesare in Egitto,” achieving resounding success that led his rival to leave the Academy the following season. The first performance of this work took place with an exceptional cast that included the prima donna Francesca Cuzzoni and the castrato Francesco Bernardi, known as Il Senesino, two true stars of the time. To facilitate the understanding of the London audience, the librettist Nicola Francesco Haym prepared an English translation.

Although the opera was an immediate success, it surprisingly fell into oblivion for nearly two centuries, until the revival of Baroque music in the 1960s. Since then, “Giulio Cesare” has become one of the most popular serious operas in the repertoire. The first operatic production of 2025 at the Piacenza’s Municipal Theatre was precisely this title. At the podium was Maestro Ottavio Dantone, who conducted this new co-production among the theatres of Ravenna, Modena, Reggio Emilia, Lucca, Bolzano, Trento, and naturally Piacenza.

Dantone presented a vibrant and almost poetic version. The sections con fuoco were radiant and explosive, while the slow parts were characterized by intimacy and melancholy. The dynamics were extraordinarily well justified, and his mastery of style was impeccable. Notably, Dantone himself accompanied on the harpsichord in the vast number of recitatives. All this musical virtuosity was made possible thanks to the Accademia Bizantina, an ensemble specialized in performing 17th- and 18th-century repertoire with original instruments, thus ensuring a musical result of the highest level. A new critical edition by Bernardo Ticci was used, to which Dantone contributed instrumental details of great ingenuity, such as replacing the obbligato violin with a recorder in the aria “Se in fiorito ameno prato,” giving voice to a bird competing in trills with Julius Caesar.

Stage direction was entrusted to Chiara Muti, who placed special emphasis on the histrionic expressiveness of the characters. Her meticulous work was reflected in every scene, where every gesture, whether from an extra or a protagonist, was carefully crafted. Her interpretation of the characters’ psychology, inspired by Handel’s own score, was remarkable.

Alessandro Camera‘s set design was discreet but ingenious. Although the libretto sets the action in Alexandria between 48 and 47 B.C; Camera opted for a minimalist space with a black background, where a giant fragmented head of Julius Caesar in Roman style lay at the center of the stage. These fragments were rearranged by the actors to create different settings. Vincent Longuemare‘s lighting design played a key role in differentiating the scenes within an unchanging stage space. Tommaso Lagattolla, for his part, designed a simple, timeless costume with slight influences from both Egyptian and Roman styles, depending on the character.

In the title role, Raffaele Pe stood out for his secure vocal projection, although his upper register was strained and uneven. While his coloratura was not very clean, the Italian countertenor compensated with a wide range of timbres and a rich expressive palette in the middle register. His portrayal of the Roman emperor was multifaceted, with an intense acting performance that captivated the audience, balancing his technical imperfections with charisma and a strong stage presence.

Marie Lys embodied a magnetic Cleopatra, both vocally and theatrically. The young Swiss soprano shone with a pleasant timbre, fluid emission, and impeccable virtuosity, confidently and lightly tackling the demands of Baroque music. Her rendition of “Piangerò la sorte mia” was deeply emotional. With a voice that remains consistently clear and perfectly suited to the Baroque repertoire, she displayed ingenious variations in the da capo sections and remarkable stylistic control. Her command of the stage, enhanced by her confident movements and striking appearance, made her a true Queen of Egypt.

A most delightful surprise was male soprano Federico Fiorio in the role of Sesto, who established himself as the opera’s best performer; achieving an interpretation that highlights the character’s youth and fragility while simultaneously conveying his rage towards powerlessness. His clear yet full-bodied timbre, combined with an elegant, powerful, and crystalline vocal line, makes him an ideal interpreter, capable of expressing both the delicacy and emotional impetus of the young avenger. He particularly excelled in a melancholic “Cara speme,” as well as in the acrobatic coloraturas, which he executed with confidence and musicality.

For her part, Delphine Galou delivered an intense performance as Cornelia, embodying the character’s dignity with great sensitivity and depth. Her stage presence was imposing, conveying the tragedy of a mother marked by sorrow with moving intensity. The musical highlight was, without a doubt, the duet “Son nata a lagrimar” alongside Fiorio. Endowed with undeniable vocal qualities, the French contralto provided a memorable interpretation.

Davide Giangregorio as Achilla particularly shone in the Act three aria “Dal fulgor di questa spada,” where his expressiveness naturally stood out. His acting performance was complemented by his well-executed death scene, devoid of excessive theatricality, resulting in an Achilla of great presence and incisiveness. Filippo Mineccia, for his part, portrayed a charismatic and theatrically effective Tolomeo, opting for an energetic and nervous interpretation that made him a formidable antagonist. His stage presence was exuberant and did not go unnoticed. Vocally, while agile and full-bodied, he exhibited some inconsistencies in homogeneity, with almost inaudible low notes and strained high notes.
The cast was completed by the countertenor Andrea Gavagnin as Nireno and the baritone Clemente Antonio Daliotti as Curio, who delivered solid and refined performances, proving to be commendable in non-central roles yet significantly contributing to the opera’s overall balance.

The production opted for just a single intermission, making the more than three-and-a-half-hour duration with only one pause quite demanding on the audience’s attention. Nevertheless, in the end, the packed Teatro Municipale di Piacenza, filled with emotional spectators, enthusiastically applauded the entire cast, thus sealing the success of this Baroque music proposal.