Gramophone Awards - Best DVD
Opera in 3 acts
Libretto: Nicola Francesco Haym
First performance: 20 February, 1724, King's Theatre, London
Recorded: 14th & 17th August 2005, Glyndebourne Opera House, East Sussex
Giulio Cesare - Sarah Connolly
Sesto - Angelika Kirchschlager
Cleopatra - Danielle de Niese
Cornella - Patricia Bardon
Achilla - Christopher Maltman
Tolomeo - Christophe Dumaux
Nireno - Rachid Ben Abdeslam
Curio - Alexander Ashworth
David McVicar's production of Giulio Cesare manages to combine serious insight with entertainment, bringing Handel's masterpiece to life in a powerful, convincing and highly intelligent way. In every line of the complex narrative the subtle nuances are apparent, reflecting perfectly the transparent and exquisite nature of Handel's musical expression. Filmed in High Definition and recorded in true surround sound, the outstanding singing of the all-star cast, led by a superb Sarah Connolly, and the vivid playing of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under the energising baton of William Christie reveal the colour and dramatic character of Handel's music in a most delightful manner.
Extra:
* Cast Gallery & Synopsis
* Entertainment is not a Dirty Word - documentary about the opera including interviews with William Christie, David McVicar and the cast
* Danielle de Niese & the Glyndebourne experience - an informal portrait of Danielle de Niese in her first-ever Glyndebourne season
* Photo Gallery
Reviews
"...a lively and imaginative production, directed by the ever resourceful David McVicar, enchanted and amused. ...there was so much good acting, often whilst singing difficult and controlled coloratura." Musical Opinion
"Christie conducts Handel beguilingly - in fact, I'd go so far as to suggest that nobody does Handel better. Christie drew brisk playing from the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, crisp and punchy, yet he also carried the slow tempos with magical stillness. But the performance was about much more than sound alone: underneath the OAE"s sheen there was an internalized musical depth to each of the numbers." Opera
"...a production with performances to savour, led from the pit by William Christie and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment on stylish form. Sarah Connolly... gave a "complete" performance full of intelligence and subtlety. Danielle de Niese stole the show as a wily, fun-filled sex kitten who renders men helpless with her irresistible charms." Opera Now
BBC's multi-award winning DVD of Handel's Giulio Cesare won another award last week, this time at the 2006 Gramophone Awards.
Held at the Dorchester Hotel on 28 September, the awards were hailed by the magazine's Editor-in-Chief James Jolly as "A vintage year".
Particular praise went to Sarah Connolly in the title role, and Danielle de Niese as Cleopatra:
"De Niese's vocal command and stage presence are spectacular in every sense" said Alan Blyth, "and from her first aria she utterly seduces her audience. David McVicar took advantage of her attractive skills to build the opera around her personality" |
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