ARTE presents Georg Friedrich Handel’s "Giulio Cesare"

2 Feb 2023: In Amsterdam, Baroque specialist Emmanuelle Haïm and director Calixto Bieito take on Handel’s famous "Giulio Cesare".

Political intrigue and lust for power, passion and betrayal: in Handel's "Giulio Cesare", nothing stands in the way of love between Julius Caesar and Cleopatra, nor thwart Cleopatra's acsension to the Egyptian throne.

The music breathes a baroque atmosphere, featuring period instruments such as the harpsichord, recorder and viola da gamba. In the hands of baroque specialist Emmanuelle Haïm, Handel's virtuoso arias become fireworks.

Spanish star director Calixto Bieito transposes the Egyptian intrigue into a world of wealth in a high-tech desert paradise. Do Ceasar and Cleopatra really love each other or are they just using each other to gain power? Rising star Julie Fuchs makes her debut at the Dutch National Opera as Cleopatra, while countertenor Chistophe Dumaux returns to the DNO in the title role.

The performance will be streamed live on 2 February, then available for free replay across Europe, and will be subtitled in 6 languages.

Genre Opera