Pinchgut Opera | Julius Caesar
November 21, 2024, City Recital Hall, Sydney, NSW
George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) Libretto by Nicola Francesco Haym (1678–1729)
Cast
Tim Mead Caesar (Emperor of Rome)
Samantha Clarke Cleopatra (Queen of Egypt)
Hugh Cutting Tolomeo (Cleopatra’s brother, King of Egypt)
Stephanie Dillon Cornelia (Wife of the Roman general, Pompeo)
Helen Sherman Sesto (Cornelia’s son)
Andrew O’Connor Achilla (Tolomeo’s general)
Michael Burden Nireno (Cleopatra’s servant)
Philip Barton Curio (Caesar’s general)
Arvin Arcilla, Jack Halabi, Josh Virgona, Alan Zhu – Guards
Orchestra of the Antipodes
Conductor Erin Helyard
Director Neil Armfield
Set and costume Dale Ferguson
Lighting Damien Cooper
Assistant director Eugene Lynch
Wow! Sensational! A knockout! If you can get a ticket, go!
Julius Caesar is one of those baroque operas that live in the memory for all the right reasons. It is full of beguiling melodies and really cool harmonies with dazzling moments of orchestral writing and the singers get the most wonderful opportunities to sing the house down.
Countertenor Tim Mead in the title role of Caesar immediately drew the audience in with his opening two arias Presti omai l’egizia terra and Empio, dirò, tu sei with brilliant singing. Throughout the whole opera he not only sang beautifully but he acted through his singing.
Then two ripping arias from Stephanie Dillon (Cornelia) and Helen Sherman (Sesto) proved that we the audience were in for a delightful evening. Dillon was magnificent in the role of the grieving widow and Sherman tugged our heart strings as the son of the murdered Pompeo. Handel gave all the leading principal singers arias of longing and also at least one aria full of drama. Dillon and Sherman also thrilled with the tenderness of several duets.
As the evil villain Tolomeo countertenor Hugh Cutting was nastiness itself and for those of us who love a perfect villain he was surely it. He brought an edge of wickedness into his singing whilst always singing with sustained beauty.
When Samantha Clarke (Cleopatra) first appears she is all sweetness and light and her aria Non disperar, chi sa? charmed all. Clarke progresses from haughty Queen to despair and back to happiness.
Act 2 started with excitement and wonderful singing and then it gets better with a most enchanting scene with Cleopatra singing to Caesar from on high with an angelic orchestra performing behind her. Director Neil Armfield nailed it. From here to the end the opera proceeds on its merry way to a feel good conclusion full of perfectly delivered music.
Special mention must go to what is probably the most famous aria from Julius Caesar the aria for horn and Caesar, Va tacito e nascosto. This is a work that every principal horn player wants to play and probably they also fear it as it is exposed and on a natural horn it is most temperamental. Well, Carla Blackwood had the day all hornists dream of as she was simply magnificent and the duetting with Tim Mead captivated everyone.
The other great instrument and voice duet, violin and countertenor, allowed the concertmaster Matthew Greco to be birdlike and musically flirtatious with Mead and we loved it. Such fun.
In lesser roles Andrew O’Connor, Michael Burden and Philip Barton all sang and acted with distinction.
Erin Helyard directs the production with energy and finesse and he has brought together a cast of distinction and an orchestra of period instrument stars. His reputation is obviously now worldwide as four of the singers in this opera hail from or are based in the northern hemisphere.
It is so wonderful to leave a fantastic performance and hear people saying, ‘that was marvelous’, ‘it just got better and better’ and to see smiles everywhere.
In 1994 I saw/heard Yvonne Kenny and Graham Pushee in Julius Caesar at the Sydney Opera House. Of the many, many operas I have attended this has always stood out as my favourite operatic memory. Now I have another production to add to my magic list. Pinchgut, 2024!
Photo Credit: Brett Boardman