"Non è si vago e bello" (Sarah Connolly, "Giulio Cesare")

The excellent British mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly plays Giulio Cesare in this Glyndebourne staging. In this scene, Cesare is suddenly enamoured of the young woman who seeks an audience with him. Cesare sings with flirtatious tenderness,

"...E la tua chioma i cori.

Non è sì vago e bello
il fior nel prato,
quant'è vago e gentile
il tuo bel volto.

D'un fiore il pregio a quello
solo vien dato,
ma tutto un vago aprile
è in te raccolto."

---

"...And your tresses enchain hearts.

The flower in the meadow
Is not so charming or so fair
As the loveliness and sweetness
Of your beauteous face.

It can he compared
Only to the loveliness of a flower,
But all of a fair April
Is joined in you."

Cleopatra (American soprano Danielle de Niese) is disguised here as her servant, Lydia, for certain political and romantic schemes of her own.

Aria from the multi-award-winning, famous and fabulous, funny and moving production of Handel's "Giulio Cesare in Egitto" by DavidMcVicar, set in late 19th-century colonial Egypt with the Redcoats keeping Cesare's Roman Empire running.

With William Christie directing the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

From Glyndebourne, August 2005.

If you like this, do go and buy the video and get the entire opera! (It's really worth it!)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Handel
• Giulio
• Cesare
• Sarah
• Connolly
• Non
• si
• vago
• bello
• William
• Christie
• Glyndebourne
• Orchestra
• Age
• of
• Enlightenment

[CrowneLeah]

I love this lady - she's playing composer at Met next February (2010) with the amazing Nina Stemme ... YUMMY singing!!!!!

[mariandelochs]

Oh, my! That's great for you - wish I could hear her live - she's the top mezzo-soprano today., in my book!

As an aside, I've got recently uploaded clips of a different soprano (sadly underappreciated in her time and today) tackling the difficult role of Der Komponist in 'Ariadne auf Naxos' - on my page. Name of Sena Jurinac - a Vienna State Opera singer from the 40s thru the early 80s. Great singing there, if you're interested.

[blind913]

good performance. They do an amusing job showing the seduction game cleopatra and caesar are playing- and the music is fun and carefully performed. Thanks for posting this!

[mariandelochs]

You're welcome!

[piustwelfth]

Just remembered Jennifer Larmore's wonderful performance as Caesar at the Met. She was excellent although her voice was a little small for the huge auditorium. Her recording of Caesar on the Harmonia Mundi label is the best I've heard on cd.

[mariandelochs]

Good for you! I like Larmore, too, and they're all different in their respective interpretations, but Connolly simply persuades the best of all as Cesare (better even than Daniels). Thanks for the comments!

[BethDiane]

It's almost perverted the way that Sarah Connolly not only manages to make a convincing man, but a good-looking one as well!

[palcika1]

You're absolutely right, she's so convincing, great looks (for this role...), great acting, and great singing.

Definetely more masculine than Daniels, lol.

[tinkerbell199193]

she's ridiculously good at playing a man. also, she's a ridiculously great mezzo!

[Baroquepassion]

I love this.

[jgonnerman85]

Bel volto, indeed! ;-)

[Musiker110]

Amazing singing!

[ptitlu747]

If I were cleopatra, I'll fall in love immediatly. isn't it incredible ?