Egypt, in ancient times. The Roman leader Julius Caesar hounds an enemy to the edge of his empire. Arriving at the Egyptian court, he encounters a dynastic feud between the young queen, Cleopatra, and her cruel brother, Tolomeo. As alliances shift, an ecstatic new love soars, but Caesar soon finds himself drawn into a dangerous web of shifting alliances and bloodthirsty ambition…
Handel’s take on the tempestuous romance between Caesar and Cleopatra features some of his most exciting music. Vengeance and desire drive vividly-etched characters through this ravishing, brutal masterpiece and an astounding series of glittering arias, by turn seductive, desperate, triumphant and tender. The result, in a production by Tim Albery with beautiful and dramatic designs by Leslie Travers, is a work that has all the colour, passion and epic sweep of a Hollywood blockbuster.
Baroque opera specialist Christian Curnyn, who has made several acclaimed Handel recordings with the Early Opera Company, conducts a cast including soprano Sophie Bevan as Cleopatra, mezzo-soprano Justina Gringytė as Cesare and counter-tenor James Laing as Tolomeo.
The opera is sung in Italian with English titles and is at The Grand Theatre, Leeds on 5th, 11th,15th and 17th October before touring to Newcastle, Nottingham and The Lowery.
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