Thanks to some connections I have I was able to purchase house seats for a performance of Giulio Cesare a few days before the broadcast that is mentioned and got to sit in the second row with a clear view of the horn section. The playing was exactly as cited (though my wife went to a performance later in the run that was not quite as scary-perfect). A few interesting things that I noted were that Julie used an assistant for "Va tacito" to give her a handful of split-seconds presumably to take the mouthpiece off of the embouchure, mostly on lower notes in the midst of long solo lines. The effect of her playing that night is hard to describe, except to say that it was so secure in tone and centered in pitch that it did not feel possible that she would fail to nail any of the concert F's (and she didn't). Later, in the third act, the horns played in antiphonal pairs from opposite ends of the (huge) pit. The G-pair were on my side and it was again almost too perfect to be believed as they sang their way up to high G. This is not to say that it was musically lacking in any way.
Aside from that, the singing and acting was surprisingly good considering the odds against performing 18th century opera in 3,000 seat house with modern instruments. David Daniels was astounding as Caesar once one got the countertenor thing resolved in one's ear and mind. The opera really has too much music but it is all really first rate and the duet for Caesar and Cleopatra at the end was as beautiful as it was powerful, particularly after what felt like 100 arias in a row. I meant to report on this back when it was fresh, but never got around to it, so I am glad it came up here now. Peter Hirsch (and not Hirsh or Hiersch) <date: Tue, 29 May 2007 11:04:37 -0700 <from: Howard Sanner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <subject: [Hornlist] Re: Haendel solos < <There's an interlude in Act III of Giulio Cesare for four horns. The <Met section did a bang up job on it (and Landsman a fine one on I see <a huntsman) during the broadcast in April. Jaw droppingly good even by <their standards, which is saying a mouthful, IMNSHO. (And yes, I am <positive Landsman and her section were playing.) < <Howard Sanner <[EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
