Giulio Cesare in Londra with the marvellous EOC

By Roy Westbrook, 12 April 2018

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“his exquisite and long-held first syllable seemed to descend from the skies”

Reviewed at Smith Square Hall, London on 11 April 2018

Handel, Giulio Cesare in Egitto, (Julius Caesar in Egypt) HWV 17

Early Opera Company

Christian Curnyn, Conductor

Anna Devin, Cleopatra

Hilary Summers, Cornelia

Tim Mead, Giulio Cesare

Rachel Kelly, Sesto

Callum Thorpe, Achilla

James Hall, Nireno

Rupert Enticknap, Tolomeo

Fairy style for the Fairest Isle: King Arthur at Temple Church

Roy Westbrook, 27th September

A concert performance of a Purcell semi-opera can never fully succeed, but compromise is worth it, if it enables us to hear a significant part of a major composer's output.

****1

Camptastic, darling: Rameau's Platée

Charlotte Valori, 20th November

Channelling Conchita Wurst in its starring role, the Early Opera Company's production of this rare Rameau opera is bursting with laughs and memorable performances from a strong young cast.

****1

Delicious downtime with the Duchess: La descente d’Orphée aux enfers with the Early Opera Company

Charlotte Valori, 17th June

Closing your eyes while listening, you could easily imagine yourself in a gilt-edged salon, with Her Highness Mademoiselle Marie de Lorraine, Duchess of Guise, peer of France, princess of Joinville, hereditary seneschal of Champagne herself sitting not far from you, enjoying and approving every lovely note.

****1

Laments and combats: Deep emotions in Monteverdi Ballets at Spitalfields

Cristina de Lucas, 17th June

Under the title “Monteverdi Ballets”, Spitalfields Music Summer Festival presented a joint collaboration between the Early Opera Company and Avant Garde Dance. The challenge was to merge music and dance coming from two different artistic projects into a single unified product.

***11

Spitalfields Music Summer Festival: A rare outing for Handel's Susanna by the Early Opera Company

Julia Savage, 12th June

The decision to appoint the Early Opera Company and Scanner as this year’s associate artists says much about Spitalfields Music Summer Festival, an eclectic cornucopia of classical and non-classical music concerts by professional and amateur artists, bespoke tours, and family activities.

****1

Early Opera Company: Handel's Rival Queens

Julia Savage, 26th May

It is no surprise that in this Olympic year, various cultural goings-on have taken on, or alluded to, a sporting theme. This year's Lufthansa Festival of Baroque Music made no exception, taking as its theme the ethos of the Olympic Games – Contests, Competitions and the Harmony of Nations – and cunningly applying it to incidents in musical history, as well as to music itself.

*****

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Roy Westbrook

Roy Westbrook gained a diploma in music history at London University (Morley College) and was for some years the head of music day schools at Oxford University, where he also led music summer schools. After some years leading the University's business school he has returned to music teaching and writing, and recently took part in the Arts in Residence courses on Bruckner, Mahler and Bach He is co-author (with Terry Barfoot) of a history of opera, and has taught day schools on Sibelius in Oxford and elsewhere.

Giulio Cesare in Londra with the marvellous Early Opera Company