Three Arias from "Giulio Cesare" (score & parts) - OB/VLN/VLA/CEL

Arranged by Graham Bastable

Giulio Cesare (Julius Caesar), Handel's opera of 1724, tells the story of Caesar's conquest of Egypt, the ensuing power struggle, and his romance with Cleopatra. Three of Cleopatra's arias have been selected for this edition. 
In Venere bella, Cleopatra prepares to woo Caesar. In the anguished Se pieta di me non senti, she has fallen in love with caesar, who is now in great peril from conspirators out to kill him. In the jubilant Da tampeste il legno infranto, she rejoices as she has been freed by Caesar from her wicked brother Tolomeo.
Slurs and dynamics are taken primarily from Handel's original publication. Additional suggested dynamic markings are placed in brackets. As the flute (or oboe) takes the vocal line in this arrangement, some of the longer slurs, particularly in Se pieta di me non senti, reflect the melismata dictated by the text, and may need to be adjusted to considerations of breath and tempo.