# Met Live in HD Giulio Cesare



## Amara (Jan 12, 2012)

Who saw this on Saturday, and who passed because they already saw the 2005 production on DVD?

I saw this on Saturday. It was completely new to me (I've never seen any version of Giulio Cesare before) so it blew me away.

I thought Natalie Dessay was magnetic, especially in her dances. Both she and David Daniels were fantastic.

Patricia Bardon was another standout. Great acting. I'd never seen her before and was kind of struck by how much she resembles Amy Poehler. lol

But the person who stole the show to me was Christophe Dumaux. I've only heard a few countertenors perform (I got into opera about 2 years ago) but his voice is the most pleasant countertenor I've heard. I was really blown away by his acting, too, and his acrobatic ability. He was so over-the-top, in a good way. I was glad they brought him out for the last scene--he stole that one, too. It was at times a hilarious performance, but he also made Tolomeo so vile that you couldn't help but cheer when justice was served. And then cheer again when he came back!

What does everyone think of this production?

I'm going to get the 2005 version with Danielle de Niese from Netflix. How would you compare the two?


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Oh, I hate to admit it but i hated it. Long, long, long, long, long arias about nothing much, and Daniels' voice just wasn't loud enough or agile enough.  Alice Coote I enjoyed, and Patricia Bardon, and how can you not love Natalie Dessay? But I left at the second interval. Bleah.


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

Amara said:


> What does everyone think of this production?
> 
> I'm going to get the 2005 version with Danielle de Niese from Netflix. How would you compare the two?


I didn't see the HD (although I'm going on Sunday), but it is one of my favourite opera productions of all time. The Glyndebourne DVD is truly wonderful. Sarah Connolly is incredible as Caesar, and one can say quite a few things about Danielle DeNiese's singing, but she is a charismatic stage performer and does very well.


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## Kazaman (Apr 13, 2013)

It blew me away all right! I thought David Daniels was a bit tense in the first scene, but he seemed to loosen up as it went along. Natalie Dessay was brilliant of course. About Christopher Dumaux, my teacher remarked that he sounds like he was originally a lyric baritone due to the similarity in sound to someone she knew in Toronto who retrained as a countertenor. I haven't checked, but if so that might have something to do with why you like his voice.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

I adore the original DVD to bits. I reckon Sarah Connolly probably blows David Daniels out of the water, and de Niese is a trained dancer. You still get Dumaux and Bardon, and yum yum Christopher Maltman as Achille. In fact that DVD got me hooked on Handel.


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## Cavaradossi (Aug 2, 2012)

I passed because I saw the saw this same McVicar production, twice, in Chicago with Daniels, de Niese, Bardon, Dumaux. I loved it back then, but a lot of its charm did seem to depend on the undeniable star quality of Danielle de Niese. As much as I love, love, love Natalie Dessay, when I heard she was in this production I was a little worried how well she would fill de Niese's ...err.... shoes.

GTG, you can't say I didn't warn you about those _da capo_ arias. But as I recall, this production had a few tricks to make them palatable and dramatically relevant.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

I've got used to da capo arias, particularly Handel as he can't write an ugly note. I go into a kind of Zen trance, drowning in the music. Or sometimes I pay attention to the ornamentation and compare to the original (Dessay is often guilty of excessive ornamentation)


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## GiulioCesare (Apr 9, 2013)

Meh, I don't really like that opera.


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## GiulioCesare (Apr 9, 2013)

I enjoyed it because I can see no fault in that work, but Daniels has nothing on Connolly. 

Dessay is a better singer than De Niese, but if there is an instance where the significance of stage presence and acting became apparent it was in that 05 Glydenbourne performance by De Niese. 

But again, those four and a half hours seemed to me like twenty minutes. If you haven't seen Giulio Cesare in Egitto, you have not lived.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

Loved it.

Mama, Dessay also started out as a ballet dancer and switched to singing.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

arpeggio said:


> Loved it.
> 
> Mama, Dessay also started out as a ballet dancer and switched to singing.


Oh of course, you're right. I was just thinking of an interview I saw where she said she was planning to be an actress before switching to opera. And she is certainly very agile and supple. I believe she does circus training to keep fit.


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

guythegreg said:


> Oh, I hate to admit it but i hated it. *Long, long, long, long, long arias about nothing much*, and Daniels' voice just wasn't loud enough or agile enough. Alice Coote I enjoyed, and Patricia Bardon, and how can you not love Natalie Dessay? But I left at the second interval. Bleah.


!!!!!!!!  it'a true that without Sarah Connolly it just ain't the same. I also loved Dumaux's acrobatics - wowza. I wish more opera singers got into the physical side of things *but* I'd rather have them focus on singing if they aren't particularly interested in this. I know if I were an opera singer, now that's when I'd work out - just so I could do all the nutty moves whilst singing complicated arias.

I still can't believe you left -


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Cavaradossi said:


> ...I was a little worried how well she would fill de Niese's ...err.... shoes.


:lol:



> GTG, you can't say I didn't warn you about those _da capo_ arias. But as I recall, this production had a few tricks to make them palatable and dramatically relevant.


Well, there's no denying it's a wonderful production. The odd thing was, I can't blame Handel either. I saw Rodelinda at the Met a year or two ago and it was wonderful. I had a great time. I don't know what the problem was. Ah well.


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## Melody (Apr 8, 2013)

I wasn't able to attend this performance because I live in England but I listened to it on the radio and was absolutely astounded by it. Although I like opera very much and also Handel, for some reason or other I've never come across this particular one. I keep playing some of the arias on YouTube and must order one of the cd's as I want to include it when I'm next hosting a music group I belong to. It is definitely an opera I want to see at some point but as I live quite a distance from any large towns/cities, my opera visits are normally made when I'm away on holiday, sometimes in Europe. 

Incidentally, I'm new to this Forum and this is my first posting, apart from my Introduction and replies, so hope I'm doing it correctly.


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## Amara (Jan 12, 2012)

Hi Melody,

Are you sure there are no Met Live in HD screenings at movie theaters in your area? You can check here for UK screenings.

My local theater company only stages 2 or 3 operas a year, so the movie screenings are a great way for me to see opera.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Melody said:


> I wasn't able to attend this performance because I live in England but I listened to it on the radio and was absolutely astounded by it. Although I like opera very much and also Handel, for some reason or other I've never come across this particular one. I keep playing some of the arias on YouTube and must order one of the cd's as I want to include it when I'm next hosting a music group I belong to. It is definitely an opera I want to see at some point but as I live quite a distance from any large towns/cities, my opera visits are normally made when I'm away on holiday, sometimes in Europe.
> 
> Incidentally, I'm new to this Forum and this is my first posting, apart from my Introduction and replies, so hope I'm doing it correctly.


You're doing it perfectly! Welcome.


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## Melody (Apr 8, 2013)

Hi Amara

Thanks for the information about opera screenings. I live in a very rural area and although there are two cinemas that sometimes show these operas, mostly during the winter months, the performances are always in the evening. This means over an hour's train journey back to my local station which is nowhere near my town centre but right out in a very isolated area. Unfortunately none of my wide circle of friends are interested in opera and as I'm not keen on travelling back alone late at night, I haven't been to any of these. I do have several short breaks each year, as well as longer holidays, and sometimes go to operas then. I also know some people in this country who organise classical music and opera holidays and for a number of years have been going on their short holidays which are very enjoyable.


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## Melody (Apr 8, 2013)

Thanks for your welcome, Natalie. Although I'm used to posting in Forums (Fora), (I was a member of Sagazone right from the start, a Forum for the over fifties run by the Saga Holiday Company in this country which unfortunately they closed down a short while ago), all Forums are different. I particularly like this one as it is mainly, of course, for classical music lovers but I also like the fact it is very international whereas Sagazone mainly catered for UK members although we did have some members from other countries. 

Melody


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## Amara (Jan 12, 2012)

Melody said:


> Hi Amara
> 
> Thanks for the information about opera screenings. I live in a very rural area and although there are two cinemas that sometimes show these operas, mostly during the winter months, the performances are always in the evening. This means over an hour's train journey back to my local station which is nowhere near my town centre but right out in a very isolated area. Unfortunately none of my wide circle of friends are interested in opera and as I'm not keen on travelling back alone late at night, I haven't been to any of these. I do have several short breaks each year, as well as longer holidays, and sometimes go to operas then. I also know some people in this country who organise classical music and opera holidays and for a number of years have been going on their short holidays which are very enjoyable.


Melody, I can see how that would be inconvenient. I would not want to travel alone in an isolated area late at night, either. Also, I'm sure that would be exhausting having to take such long train rides to and from long operas. I don't know anyone interested in opera either, which makes this forum so great. I feel I learn a lot from reading other people's posts since I'm a newbie. I love the list with the most recommended DVDs as I'd like to make my way through the most famous operas.


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## Melody (Apr 8, 2013)

Hello again, Amara

As you can see, I'm also a newbie, having joined this forum recently and now see you are, too, so welcome. I agree this forum is great for those of us interested in opera and especially if we have no one we can share our interest with. I belong to a small music group which is part of our fairly new U3A group in my tiny town but only one or two of those members like opera, so we don't very often listen to anything connected with it. I think it is such a shame that so many people don't enjoy it but that may be a reflection on the fact I live in a rural area. Perhaps if I lived in a large city I would find people who are more interested in the arts in general, including opera.


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## Amara (Jan 12, 2012)

I live in a city, Melody, but not a very big one. It's very suburban. So the Met Live in HD viewings here don't get sold out like they do in other American cities. I think the biggest audience I saw here was for the Wednesday night rebroadcast of Faust, which was almost full. But usually at these screenings there are only a few people in the theater.

It's been several years since I've been to New York, but I'm making it my business next time I go to visit the Met!


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

I live in the biggest city in my country and people here are more interested in sport than any of the arts, let alone opera.


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## GiulioCesare (Apr 9, 2013)

mamascarlatti said:


> I live in the biggest city in my country and people here are more interested in sport than any of the arts, let alone opera.


I'm afraid that is true of every big city in the world.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

... and most of the smaller ones, eh?


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## GiulioCesare (Apr 9, 2013)

guythegreg said:


> ... and most of the smaller ones, eh?


That goes without saying, given chances are inhabitants of those small towns and rural areas have a more difficult access to opera halls.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

GiulioCesare said:


> I'm afraid that is true of every big city in the world.


Well I'm comparing with places like Vienna.

But even Norway. with the same population as NZ, puts on about 5 times the number of operas as we do. We have 2 a year.


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## GiulioCesare (Apr 9, 2013)

mamascarlatti said:


> Well I'm comparing with places like Vienna.
> 
> But even Norway. with the same population as NZ, puts on about 5 times the number of operas as we do. We have 2 a year.


But the sheep! 

Two operas a year is very poor indeed...


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## Melody (Apr 8, 2013)

I've not been around for a while as I've had some urgent work to complete but I'm interested in all your comments. I wonder why it is that some countries appear to appreciate the arts more than others do? A few years ago I did an extensive tour of Scandinavia and was very surprised at how musical the people in Finland are but they seem to put a lot of resources into teaching the subject in schools. Maybe for possible financial reasons, some countries cannot do this to the same extent, so children do not grow up being involved with the arts and especially music from an early age. Once they have grown up with other distractions, it is not so easy to acquire new tastes, although it is never too late to do so.


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

^ I take it you mean *classical* music, as kids enjoy music everywhere. It's down to education and the amount of funds schools provide for art education. It's always best to start early when it comes to education.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Hmm ... my own response would be, some people just know how to have fun, and others haven't quite got there yet!


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## Cavaradossi (Aug 2, 2012)

OK, I got to see this in person last week and I'm reluctantly going to have to award the winner's rhinestone tiara and brassiere to Miss DeNiese in the Cleopatra-off. 

While it was still an immensely enjoyable evening, it wasn't the magical, memorable, highlight-of-the-season outing that the DeNiese version was. I left the theater that night thinking that this clever production and its dazzling star were more than just a great introduction to Handel opera, but made a terrific vehicle to draw new audiences into opera altogether. This was a huge opportunity missed by the Met.

It also looks like they had to supersize the sets for the Met stage, and the production lost a good deal of its intimate Baroque charm.


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## Amara (Jan 12, 2012)

Does anyone think there's a chance the Met will put this recording out on DVD? Or is that unlikely since the 2005 Glynebourne production is already out on DVD?


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Amara said:


> Does anyone think there's a chance the Met will put this recording out on DVD? Or is that unlikely since the 2005 Glynebourne production is already out on DVD?


I'd be really surprised, particularly seeing as the Glyndebourne one is so perfect.


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## tyroneslothrop (Sep 5, 2012)

Amara said:


> Does anyone think there's a chance the Met will put this recording out on DVD? Or is that unlikely since the 2005 Glynebourne production is already out on DVD?


Whether or not the Met puts out a DVD/Bluray, I think it will likely be posted online on _Opera on Demand_, possibly in another 3 months. What I learned recently is that before the Met can issue DVDs or put the recording up on _Opera on Demand_, it has to be re-edited for aspect ratio and to insert closeups on faces, etc. which they don't do for the simulcasts. I assume that takes some time.


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## Amara (Jan 12, 2012)

tyroneslothrop said:


> Whether or not the Met puts out a DVD/Bluray, I think it will likely be posted online on _Opera on Demand_, possibly in another 3 months. What I learned recently is that before the Met can issue DVDs or put the recording up on _Opera on Demand_, it has to be re-edited for aspect ratio and to insert closeups on faces, etc. which they don't do for the simulcasts. I assume that takes some time.


Thanks for the info, Tyrone! I'm really looking forward to seeing this one again. Hoping my PBS station will air it this summer as part of _Great Performances at the Met_.


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## Geo Dude (May 22, 2013)

Unfortunately, I'm not currently living in a city that does movie theater broadcasts (alas, San Antonio has two but I was never cognizant of it and thus never took advantage when I was living there )...that said, while I can't comment on the performance, (haven't seen it) I will note that you evil people have convinced me that I'll have to get the Glynebourne blu-ray at some point. Granted, I'm currently stuck with TV speakers rather than a worthwhile sound system and will be for a while (at least when it comes to the TV set up), but based on the commentary here dealing with that issue will be better than not seeing that performance.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Geo Dude said:


> Unfortunately, I'm not currently living in a city that does movie theater broadcasts (alas, San Antonio has two but I was never cognizant of it and thus never took advantage when I was living there )...that said, while I can't comment on the performance, (haven't seen it) I will note that you evil people have convinced me that I'll have to get the Glynebourne blu-ray at some point. Granted, I'm currently stuck with TV speakers rather than a worthwhile sound system and will be for a while (at least when it comes to the TV set up), but based on the commentary here dealing with that issue will be better than not seeing that performance.


Owning the Glyndebourne production is compulsory on this board..


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