The Early Music Show - Handel's Giulio Cesare

Lucie Skeaping looks at the plot, history, performances and recordings of one of Handel’s most enduring operas, Giulio Cesare - first performed at London's Haymarket Theatre in 1724.

The libretto was written by Nicola Francesco Haym who used an earlier libretto by Giacomo Francesco Bussani. The opera, which starred two of Europe's most famous performers - the castrato Senesino and soprano Francesca Cuzzoni - was an immediate success at its first performances, and was frequently revived by Handel in his subsequent opera seasons for King George I's Royal Academy.

Published on Wednesday, 8th June 2016.

Available Podcasts from The Early Music Show

Subscribe to The Early Music Show

We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the The Early Music Show webpage.