Which Handel opera tells the story of Julius Caesar’s campaign in Egypt?

George Frideric Handel’s opera Giulio Cesare tells the story of Julius Caesar’s campaign in Egypt.

First performed in London in 1724, Giulio Cesare in Egitto follows Caesar’s encounter with Cleopatra during the Roman intervention in the Egyptian civil war. The libretto was written by Nicola Francesco Haym, who adapted an earlier text by Giacomo Francesco Bussani.

The opera combines political conflict with a central love story between Caesar and Cleopatra. Cleopatra’s arias, including “V’adoro, pupille” and “Piangerò la sorte mia,” are especially famous, while the title role was originally written for the castrato Francesco Bernardi, known as Senesino.

Modern productions usually assign the role of Caesar to a mezzo-soprano, contralto, or countertenor. Giulio Cesare is often regarded as Handel’s most successful Italian opera and remains a major work of the Baroque repertory.