Handel Giulio Cesare in Egitto HWV 17

Handel Giulio Cesare in Egitto HWV 17

During Handel's lifetime, this was among his most successful operas. Today it is still one of the most frequently performed, owing to the rich variety of its scenes and its remarkably inventive arias and ensembles.

During Handel's lifetime, the popular work was staged often and adapted by Handel for each of the performance conditions. Hans Dieter Clausen has succeeded in editorially defining and practically presenting these adaptations – essentially four versions - allowing for a performance of each of the four versions.

Clausen not only describes the genesis, historical background, reception and the edition of the opera, in the extensive Foreward but also examines the musical and dramatic reworking of individual numbers.

Urtext of the Halle Handel Edition Series II/14.1 and 14.2

In his extensive Foreword Hans Dieter Clausen not only decribes the genesis, historical background, reception and the edition of the opera, he also examines the musical and dramaturgical reworking of individual numbers in Giulio Cesare.  Handel was such an expert in adapting arias for new purposes and other characters that he did not only meet the needs at hand but often the new version surpassed the original.  In this way, the reader gains, in passing, a well-founded insight into Handel’s work methods when designing and redevising his characters.

The detailed Critical Commentary includes information on the comprehensive and highly complex source situation as well as on individual editorial decisions.