Opera title: | Giulio Cesare |
Composer: | Georg Handel |
Language: | Italian |
Synopsis: | Giulio Cesare Synopsis |
Libretto: | Giulio Cesare Libretto |
Translation(s): | English |
Type: | aria |
Role(s): | Giulio Cesare / Achilla / Giulio Cesare / Cornelia / Sesto |
Voice(s): | Contralto or Mezzo-Soprano or CounterTenor |
Act: | 1.18 |
Previous scene: | Cesare alla tua destra |
Next scene: | Tu sei il cor di questo core |
Va tacito e nascosto, He goes silently and stealthily,
quand’avido è di preda, When he is seeking prey,
l’astuto cacciator. The astute hunter.
E chi è mal far disposto And he who intends evil
non brama che si veda will not want to show
l’inganno del suo cor. the deceit in his heart.
This aria is sung by the title character in Handel’s “Giulio Cesare in Egitto†(Julius Caesar in Egypt) towards the end of the first act, accompanied by strings and a solo horn (corno da caccia). It was written for the castrato Senesino, and in its recorded history has been sung by basses and baritones (Norman Treigle in the New York City Opera production that brought Beverly Sills to international fame), as well as mezzo-sopranos (Jennifer Larmore is a favorite) and more recently countertenors (I particularly like Lawrence Zazzo) as well. It is what is known as a “da capo†aria because after singing the first and second sections (the second has no solo horn as a contrast), you then go back to the beginning (da capo) and sing the first section again. The tradition at the time was to ornament the repeated first section, often very floridly, and each singer would do their own version to show off their particular abilities. I don't play the horn, but in the baroque one of the oboes in the range of the modern English horn was called the "oboe da caccia" or "hunting oboe" so it's close enough for me.
art:
Vanity Sounds the Horn and Ignorance Unleashes the Hounds
Overconfidence, Rashness, and Desire (from The Hunt of the Frail Stag) ca. 1500-1525
South Netherlandish wool and silk tapestry
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, United States
Aria Cesare
Va tacito e nascosto, quand'avido è di preda, l'astuto cacciator.
E chi è mal far disposto, non brama che si veda l'inganno del suo cor. (parte con seguito).
Aria Cesare
It must be tacit and hidden, when greedy is prey, the cunning hunter.
And whoever is ill disposed, does not want to see the deception of his heart. (part with continuation).
Sheetmusic for aria | ![]() |
Sheetmusic for opera | ![]() |
MP3's for this aria | on Amazon.com |
DVD/CD's for this opera | on Amazon.com |