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Handel - Giulio Cesare [Box set] [Live]

~ Marc Minkowski (Conductor), Marijana Mijanovic (Performer), Magdalena Kozena (Performer), Anne Sofie von Otter (Performer), Bejun Mehta (Performer), et al.

4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

Price:	�23.98 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Customers buy this with Handel - Ariodante / von Otter, Dawson, Cangemi, Podles, Croft, Sedov, Coadou, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Minkowski ~ Anne Sofie von Otter

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Handel - Ariodante / von Otter, Dawson, Cangemi, Podles, Croft, Sedov, Coadou, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Minkowski ~ Anne Sofie von Otter
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Product details

Performer: Marijana Mijanovic, Magdalena Kozena, Anne Sofie von Otter, Bejun Mehta, Charlotte Hallekant, et al.
Orchestra: Les Musiciens du Louvre
Conductor: Marc Minkowski
Composer: George Frideric Handel
Audio CD (15 Sep 2003)
SPARS Code: DDD
Number of Discs: 3
Format: Box set, Live
Label: Archiv (Universal Classics)
ASIN: B000094HLD
Other Editions: MP3 Download

Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 65,432 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)
Popular in this category:
#34 in Music > Opera & Vocal > Opera > By Composer > Operas-Complete > Handel

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Disc 1:

On this CD:

Giulio Cesare
Composed by George Frideric Handel
Performed by Musiciens du Louvre
with Alan Ewing, Charlotte Hellekant, Pascal Bertin, Magdalena Kozen�, Anne Sofie von Otter, Marijana Mijanovic, Bejun Mehta, Jean-Michel Ankaoua
Conducted by Marc Minkowski

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Customer Reviews

3 Reviews

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4.0 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most moving Cleopatra on disc, 15 Jul 2003

By	"nicngu" - See all my reviews

During an interview given before his performances of the 2001 production of Giulio Cesare at the Nederlandse Opera, Minkowski explained that he wanted to record one day Haendel's masterpiece with a "high mezzo" as Cleopatra, but that he found the casting of Cesar a problem. Whether he has found the ideal Cesar in Marijanovic remains a question of taste. There is definitely something masculine about her voice that of course suits the character but I am not really convinced that she does a better job than Larmore in the Harmonia Mundi set conducted by Ren� Jacobs (which is still Larmore's best contribution to the disc). The casting of "high mezzo" Kozena as Cleopatra on the other hand is certainly a winner. On top of the impeccable technique and refined coloratura in the fast "numbers", her voice has depth and colour that give a real dramatic dimension to the slow arias : her account of "V'adoro pupille..." is the most seductive I have heard and "Piangero..." the most moving. Schlick's light soprano in the Harmonia Mundi set cannot match this, although some might find her light soprano voice a welcome change when listening to the whole opera : Minkowski's cast includes no less that 4 mezzos and 1 countertenor in the 5 main roles. The other strong point of this set is Von Otter, who makes of the young Sextus a very convincing character. On the other hand, I do prefer Derek Lee Ragin's whiny Ptolemy and especially Bernarda Fink's noble Cornelia on the Harmodia Mundi set to their counterparts on this new version. As a whole, even if I would find it very difficult to chose between this new Minkowski set and the Jacobs version, Kozena's Cleopatra only was worth the buy.

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11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Giulio, che miri?, 12 Jul 2004

By	Anastasia Beaverhausen - See all my reviews

As a BIG fan of Minkowski I am sorry to say that I find this recording disappointing, especially in light of his recordings of Handel's "Teseo" and "Ariodante". But then, to be fair, can any other recording ever equal or surpass Jacobs' reading of "Giulio Cesare"? It is hard to imagine.

The only real star performance is delivered by the mezzo Magdalena Kozena as Cleopatra. Kozena has some difficulty sustaining the high-lying passages of this fiendish part written for Francesca Cuzzoni. Cleopatra is an interesting character on many levels. She is one of the first of Handel's three-dimensional characters. Instead of being portrayed as a young woman who matures as the opera progresses, Minkowski's Cleopatra stays at the same emotional level throughout, as he has such a mature sounding Cleopatra from the outset.

Now the singing: Kozena sings with the authority of a queen. Despite her 'I think I can' high notes, her performance is more compelling, accurate, and vituosic than any other Cleopatra on record. Her big bravura aria, 'Da tempesta', is dispatched at a breakneck speed as one by now expects of Minkowski, and with such deceptive ease. At the other end her 'Se pieta' and 'Piangero' are splendid for the sheer legato and beauty of phrasing she exhibits throughout. Although she puts her soprano predecessors in this role to shame, I have to disagree with Minkowski's decision to cast a mezzo as Cleopatra: it makes Cleopatra sound too mature. So... close, but no cigar.

The Giulio Cesare of Mijanovic adds nothing new to this role, if not actually detracting from his music and character. Her's is a very bland, sloppy and uninteresting performance; though I must admit that her voice is of a singular character, and has a very beautiful timbre. There is something distinctly androgynous, if not masculine, about her tone quality, yet her runs are not always accurate in intonation and articulation, and her top register is non-existant and just painful. She is also the dullest member of the cast. Why Podles was not engaged for this role can only remain a mystery.

I find Bejun Mehta's Tolomeo vocally preferable to that of the other Tolomeos on record. His voice sounds like a bigger and meatier instrument, and his technique is staggering; yet he does not quite sing with the finesse of a Derek Lee Ragin. I also find that either he or Minkowski decided to reduce the character to a caricature, which is rather unfortunate as his threats can't be taken seriously. He may be cowardly, and Cleopatra does poke fun of him in the first act, but he is still a very real threat and is competent enough for his army, even if under Achilla's command, to beat the Romans in Act two. The rest of the cast, including von Otter, sing adequately, but it's nothing to write home about.

Minkowski's reading adds nothing new to the score. Why this should be the case is a complete mystery, as he has a very good ensemble at his disposal. Maybe they just had an off night, as the performance in some places seems to turn into a bit of a train wreck. Here especially Mijanovic and Ewing are guilty. Even though everything is taken at a cracking pace, somehow this performance does not 'gel'. Despite my misgivings about casting a mezzo as Cleopatra and the implications it has on the character, it is worth purchasing this recording for Kozena's ravishingly sung Cleopatra. Overall the set by Rene Jacobs remains preferable.

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7 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the mezzo's giulio cesare, 21 Jul 2003

By	"zvi222" - See all my reviews

A marvellous discovery - Mariana Mijanovich - shines in a starry cast of singers and conductor in an exhilarating performance beautifully recorded. With Mijanovich, Kozena(cleopatra),von Otter(sesto)and Hellekant(cornelia),all of them superb ,this is truely the mezzo's recording.
I enjoied it very much and urge you to buy it because it is the best giulio available.

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