Handel: Giulio Cesare "L'empio, sleale indegno" D. L .Ragin

George Frideric Handel
Giulio Cesare in Egitto, HWV 17
"L'empio, sleale indegno"
Act I, Scene III

L'empio, sleale, indegno
vorria rapirmi il regno,
e disturbar così
la pace mia.
Ma perda pur la vita,
prima che in me tradita
dall'avido suo cor
la fede sia!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Handel
• Giulio
• Cesare
• Egitto
• Derek
• Lee
• Ragin
• L'empio
• Sleale
• indegno
• tolomeo
• ptolemy
• countertenor

[turandot82]

It does seem a bit slow. Still sung nicely though.

If you've seen the Glyndenbourne/David McVicar production, available on DVD, Christopher Dumaux does a great job on this aria. The tempo is a bit faster, plus the acting is superb.

[civileso]

I'd like to hear that, too. Bejun Mehta's version (with Mijanovic as Cesare) was also really fast, much faster than this one.. but I really think that hearing it too fast leaves me with the sense of "what just hapened?". It doesn't leave any room to understand Tolomeo's character. It just gets lost in the chaos.. Here, although only a recorded version, you can hear Ragin portraying this childish king wanna-be so vividly, as if I see him on stage. Just an opinion..

[hillevifan]

Rather slow

[civileso]

It is roughly about 160 beats per minute which is within the allegro range, namely 120-168.. It is almost too fast for the tempo marked on the score..

[civileso]

Please folks, don't liken their voices to "angels". They're simply great singers with very nice timbre. What if angels sound horrid? :) I admire Scholl and Ragin, and many others. But I find it extremely lame to use this cliche expression "voice of an angel" which so many people seem to associate with most countertenors and/or sopranists to describe their voices. Moreover, I find it ridiculous to compare them to each other. It really sounds like "my countertenor can beat your countertenor!" ;)

[fastborzoi]

LOVE the score posted, wonderful recording too

[CountertenorJ]

@hillevifan The tempo marking for this is "Allegro, e staccato" which merely means "lively/cheerful, and detached." I think they adequately do this. Any faster would push it into "Presto" territory which literally means "soon." Tolomeo is throwing a temper-tantrum in this aria. He isn't really rushing towards anything like he is in "Si, spietata."

[CountertenorJ]

@civileso A kind reminder that Alessandro Moreschi was claimed to have the voice of an angel, and many find him atrocious (although I do not).

[serenaluce]

As much as I admire his voice I still prefer Cencic's interpretation of this wonderful aria! Two great artists!

[Aragon1808]

Que comentário mais improcedente. Se estes contratenores tem voz de anjos eu nao sei pois nunca ouvi um anjo cantar,mas como estudioso de canto barroco posso afirmar que a arte destes cantores nos conduzem definitivamente a divindade dos céus...

[delauge]

I don´t think... Have you ever heard Andreas Scholl?

[coopandre]

I like the slower tempo.

[lullaluna]

Derek has the voice of an angel.....