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Duration: 04:01 minutes Upload Time: 2007-08-26 11:28:36 User: civileso :::: Favorites :::: Top Videos of Day |
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Description: George Frideric Handel Giulio Cesare in Egitto, HWV 17 "Empio, dirò, tu sei!" Act I, Scene I Libretto by Nicola Francesco Haym, after Giacamo Francesco Bussani. Opera Giulio Cesare in Egitto was first performed at the King's Theatre, Haymarket, London, on 20th of February 1724 with legendary alto castrato Senesino (Francesco Bernardi) performing the title role, Francesca Cuzzoni as Cleopatra and the castrato Gaetano Berenstadt in the role of Ptolemy, or Tolomeo as he is called in the Italian libretto. In the preceeding scenes, The Egyptian people welcome Caesar to Alexandria. Cornelia and Sextus, Pompey's wife and son, request that peace be made between the two Romans, and Caesar agrees. In order to win Caesar's favour, the Egyptian king Ptolemy sends his general Achillas to present Caesar with the head of Pompey who has been murdered. Caesar is outraged by this deed. Apalled, Caesar sings this rage aria, "Empio, dirò, tu sei!" Among the artists who performed/recorded this role/aria are: Mezzo soprano: Janet Baker, Sarah Connolly Countertenors: Andreas Scholl, Graham Pushee, David Daniels, Jeffrey Gall Contralto: Jennifer Larmore, Martine Dupuy, Marijana Mijanovic Baritones: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Yep! a baritone version of the role), Norman Treigle Italian Text: Empio, dirò, tu sei! Togliti agli occhi miei! Sei tutto crudeltà! Non è di re quel cor che donasi al rigor, che in sen no ha pietà. English Tranlation: You are a villain, I say! Get out of my sight! You are all cruelty! This is not a king, whose heart Abandons itself to such harshness, who has no pity in his breast. |
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