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 |
Giulio Cesare in Egitto (Julius Caesar in Egypt, HWV 17), commonly known simply as Giulio Cesare, is an Italian opera in three acts written for the Royal Academy of Music by George Frideric Handel in 1724.
This is an English version, staged (sumptiously) for TV in 1985 by the English National Opera under Sir Charles Mackerras. In this clip, the marvellous, beautiful Dame Janet Baker (Mezzo Soprano - as Caesar) sings the Aria "How silently..." - in Italian "Va tacito e nascosto". It has always been one of my favourite Handel Arias, and Dame Janet sings, as well as acts, this part most memorably.
I posted this because it reminded me of the Aria from Bach's Cantata No. 54 - Widerstehe doch der Sünde. Of course, there are vast differences in context (to say the least) but there are musical similarities. I have cross-posted to the Bach/Gould vid I uploaded here:
More info upcoming -
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 |