Opera - Julius Caesar

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL

Julius Caesar

183:56

Libretto by Nicola Haym

English translation by Brian Trowell

Edition prepared by Noel Davies and Sir Charles Mackerras

1

Overture

3:02

Act I

Scene 1

2

'Caesar! Caesar! Egypt acclaims thee'

1:38

Chorus

3

'Kneel in tribute, fair land of Egypt'

2:05

Caesar

4

'Curio, Caesar has come . . .'

2:33

Caesar, Cornelia, Sextus, Achillas

5

'Tyrant, avoid my sight'

3:57

Caesar

6

'Mother!' 'Cornelia!'

0:43

Sextus, Curio, Cornelia

7

'Grief and woe all hope deny me'

6:10

Cornelia

8

'The time for tears is over'

0:27

Sextus

9

'Come rouse yourselves to vengeance'

4:07

Sextus

Scene 2

10

'You shall be Queen, Cleopatra'

2:00

Cleopatra, Nirenus, Ptolemy

11

'Yet why despair?'

4:37

Cleopatra

12

'Pharaoh, my King!'

1:10

Achillas, Ptolemy

13

'Upstart, barbarian and traitor!'

3:41

Ptolemy

Scene 3

14

'Spirit of mighty Pompey'

5:19

Caesar, Curio, Cleopatra, Nirenus

15

'Here within thee, O friendly marble'

3:03

Cornelia

16

'Alas! Reviled and neglected, must I remain here for ever?'

2:03

Cornelia, Sextus, Cleopatra, Nirenus

17

'O star of my desire'

5:32

Cleopatra

Scene 4

18

'Caesar! A generous destiny . . .'

1:08

Ptolemy, Caesar, Achillas

19

'How silently, how slyly'

6:29

Caesar

20

'Sire, with Sextus her son, the lady Cornelia'

1:58

Achillas, Cornelia, Sextus, Ptolemy

21

'Ne'er reject a tender lover'

5:13

Achillas

22

'Mother!' 'My dearest!'

0:37

Sextus, Cornelia

23

'Condemn'd to grieve and cry, my love'

7:44

Cornelia, Sextus

Act II

Scene 1

24

'Have you done as I ordered, faithful Nirenus?'

2:48

Cleopatra, Nirenus, Caesar

25

'Lamenting, complaining of Caesar's disdaining'

4:37

Cleopatra, Caesar

26

'Fly then, fly, O my heart'

0:42

Caesar, Nirenus

27

'Fleet o'er flowery meadow gliding'

7:47

Caesar

Scene 2

28

'Still despairing, still lamenting'

2:19

Cornelia

29

'Lady, forget your grieving'

2:05

Achillas, Cornelia, Ptolemy

30

'Deep within my bosom burning'

3:19

Ptolemy

31

'So why delay?'

1:17

Cornelia, Sextus

32

'Sigh no more, forget lamenting'

3:14

Cornelia

33

'He is no son who seeks not full revenge . . .'

0:23

Sextus

34

'Wounded, the serpent ne'er reposes'

5:05

Sextus

Scene 3

35

'Soon he will come to find me'

0:44

Cleopatra

36

'Venus, fair lady, one favour send me'

4:53

Cleopatra

37

'Ah gods! What do I see?'

2:49

Caesar, Cleopatra, Curio

38

'In anger and fury I'll turn on the foe'

1:41

Caesar, Chorus

39

'They will kill him'

1:10

Cleopatra

40

'Hear my prayer, O gods, relenting'

9:40

Cleopatra

41

Symphony

0:41

Act III

Scene 1

42

'So! You are beaten!'

0:56

Ptolemy, Cleopatra

43

'I shall tame your pride unbending'

4:14

Ptolemy

44

'And so in one brief hour all my glory is gone?'

1:06

Cleopatra

45

'Flow, my tears'

6:50

Cleopatra

46

'From the perils of the ocean'

2:06

Caesar

47

'Zephyrs! Zephyrs, come to mine aid!'

6:35

Caesar

48

'Nirenus, the battle is fought and lost'

2:23

Sextus, Achillas, Caesar, Curio

49

'See in spate the high cataract storming'

4:33

Caesar

Scene 2

50

'Ladies, my faithful servants'

3:25

Cleopatra, Caesar

51

'Stormy winds my ship had shaken'

6:24

Cleopatra

Scene 3

52

Symphony

2:59

53

'Here, Curio and your legions'

2:27

Nirenus, Caesar, Sextus, Cornelia, Cleopatra

54

'Dearest!' 'Fairest!'

5:45

Cleopatra, Caesar

55

'Long, long may Egypt continue'

0:29

Caesar

56

'Proclaim we all great Caesar's glory'

0:52

Chorus

57

'A vow I give you'

0:57

Caesar, Cleopatra

58

'Proclaim we all great Caesar's glory'

0:49

Chorus

Dame Janet Baker mezzo-soprano - Julius Caesar

Christopher Booth-Jones baritone - Curio

Sarah Walker mezzo-soprano - Cornelia

Della Jones mezzo-soprano - Sextus

Valerie Masterson soprano - Cleopatra

James Bowman counter-tenor - Ptolemy

John Tomlinson bass - Achillas

David James counter-tenor - Nirenus

Sir Charles Mackerras

1-7 August 1984