Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto to Close Florence’s 88th Maggio Musicale Festival

Florence’s 88th Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Festival will conclude its opera programme with Giulio Cesare in Egitto by George Frideric Handel, a work that has never previously been staged in the city.

The production will be performed at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino on 14, 19, 21 and 25 June. Stage director Davide Livermore leads a new staging, while conductor Gianluca Capuano will direct the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra and Chorus.

One of Handel’s greatest operas

The cast includes countertenor Raffaele Pe in the title role of Julius Caesar and soprano Mariangela Sicilia as Cleopatra. They are joined by Fleur Barron as Cornelia, Nicolò Balducci as Sesto Pompeo, Filippo Mineccia as Tolomeo and Valerio Morelli as Achilla.

First performed at London’s King’s Theatre on 20 February 1724, Giulio Cesare in Egitto is widely regarded as one of Handel’s greatest operas and a landmark of the baroque repertoire. The three-act opera, with a libretto by Nicola Francesco Haym, follows Julius Caesar’s campaign in Egypt after the Battle of Pharsalus, where he pursues his rival Pompey and becomes entangled in the political struggle between Ptolemy and Cleopatra.

The original London premiere was a major success, running for 13 sold-out performances. Written for some of the most celebrated singers of the period, including the castrato Senesino and soprano Francesca Cuzzoni, the work combined elaborate staging with some of Handel’s most admired music.

The Florence production

For the Florence production, Livermore has relocated the action to the 1930s, drawing inspiration from the world of adventure and mystery novels set in Egypt. The director describes the story as a sequence of appearances, misunderstandings, seduction, intrigue and deeply human vulnerabilities, highlighting the complexity and contradictions of its characters.

Capuano has emphasised the dramatic force of Handel’s score, noting that the music makes an immediate and powerful impact from the opening moments.

The production is presented in collaboration with the Opéra de Monte-Carlo.

Public talk before the premiere

Ahead of the opening night, the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino will host a public lecture as part of its Parlando d’operaseries.

The event, titled The Ancient World on Stage: Handel’s Giulio Cesare, will be led by Martino Ruggiero Dondi on 10 June at 4.30 p.m. Admission is free, subject to available seating.

Practical information

Giulio Cesare in Egitto
Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Florence

Performance dates:

• 14 June
• 19 June
• 21 June
• 25 June

Public talk:

• 10 June, 4.30 p.m.
• Free admission while seats remain available

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