Cecilia's Cesare

Giulio Cesare in Egitto - Haus für Mozart, 25 August 2012 (Salzburg Festival)

This Leiser and Caurier production formed the centrepiece of Cecilia Bartoli's Salzburg Whitsun Festival, a venture that proved such a hit with audiences and critics alike that we may not have to wait long until la Ceci is offered the Big Festival job as well.

My cheap seat way up high on the side had a slightly restricted view (photo above) but terrific sound. Sadly I had to skip most of the last act to nip next door for Carmen (that's what happens when you try to pack 10 hours of music into one day).  But I saw enough to convince me that this was Salzburg's most successful production all-round this year.

I was keener than some of the critics were for the gleeful vulgarity of Leiser and Caurier's entrail-stuffed statue, flying rocket and giant plastic crocodiles. Gasp-inducing special effects featured in Handel's time too, and they enhance the storytelling, so why not? The narrow stage of the Haus für Mozart was extended backwards and forwards (taking up half of the orchestra pit) to squeeze in a full sized car, a tank and even a mini-seraglio, meaning there were no delays for scene changes.

 Strapped into towering thigh boots and a succession of elaborate corsetry,  Bartoli's Cleopatra was more sassy than seductive, shoving Andreas Scholl's rather vicarish Cesare wherever she wanted him. Scholl was on much better form than he had been at Whitsun (check out the videos below) and with a fabulous cast including Philippe Jaroussky, Christophe Dumaux and Anne Sofie von Otter there could be no complaints about the singing. Giovanni Antonini and Il Giardino Armonico provided the music - like the directors they weren't afraid of bold colours or a bit of irreverent fun.

Production photos here.

If you've got four hours to spare, here's a video of the whole show (as broadcast in May by Arte):

Comments

[fidelia]

I watched the Arte broadcast when it was shown in the spring and quite enjoyed the production. I must admit that Christophe Dumaux's masturbatory practices made me somewhat uncomfortable, but I can't fault the production: it was coherent, well executed and -the only word that comes to mind- is "fun". With, lest we forget the essentials, fabulous singing, y compris your "viacrish" J. Caesar.

[Diane]

I thought Scholl was more bureaucrat-ish than vicar-ish and it suited the purposes of the production rather well and was of a piece with Cecilia's witty rendition of "Da tempeste" whilst gleefully counting the EU handouts and slipping Curio a backhander!

I'm a gal who's up for a bit of gleeful vulgarity but Cornelia's attempted suicide by sticking her head in the mouth of a plastic crocodile was a step too far for me. And I do hope Dumaux got paid danger money for having to spend most of the production with his hands down his trousers. The poor man was loudly booed by a crass section of the audience at the second performance (I attended both of the Whitsun performances) after "Empio, sleale, indegno" and "Dominero la tua fierezza"; it couldn't have been for his singing (which was superb) or his excellent acting, so I guess they didn't like what he was doing on stage.

The singing from everyone was fabulous with (for me)Jaroussky being the absolute stand-out (no more mezzos in pants singing Sesto for me, thanks). All of them rightfully received enthusiastic applause. Messrs. Leise and Caurier on the other hand were lustily booed at both of the performances I attended.

[Francis]

Judging by the reactions to this production, here as well as live, it's safe to say that one (wo)man's bad taste is another (wo)man's fun...

[Diane]

Agreed. But suicide by plastic croc is just plain silly (and likely to prove ineffectual)...

[Maria DF]

Glad to see Scholl was in better shape than at Whitsun (he was one of the reasons I went then!) and thanks IM for being a bit more progressive than most of the critics and public... Although I suspect this production couldn't have been pulled off with any other cast.
Diane - I came to the same counter-tenor vs mezzo conclusion many years ago... for Handel operas anyway :-)