The renewed version of Händel’s opera Julius Caesar in Egypt – Anew, the first baroque opera staged in Rijeka, has also been met with undivided delight from the audience. Although the auditorium could not be filled due to current anti-epidemic measures, this did not prevent the audience delivering hearty applause throughout the performance and at the end, along with their enthusiastic shouts of “bravo!” and a standing ovation that created the impression of a hall filled to the last seat. The enthusiasm for the performance, the last one in Rijeka before the show’s guest appearance at the famous Savonlinna Opera Festival, completely filled the space and flowed towards the stage and performers.
Here is how some of the viewers expressed their enthusiasm in words:
“Excellent singing and acting. The direction, from scene to scene, was very impressive and powerful. We are delighted!”
“A great, modern way of showing classical opera. It reminded me of Fellini’s film Orchestra Rehearsal, very witty, very original, beautiful. It blew me away.”
“We have watched broadcasts of the opera Julius Caesar in Egypt from all over the world, from the Metropolitan and beyond, and now we are watching it live for the first time. We have been pleasantly surprised, as difficult things have been performed excellently.”
“The show is great in every way; we really like it. We are generally fans of baroque and Händel. We especially love Diana Haller and Anamarija Knego, and Dubravka Šeparović is brilliant, as is Sonja Runje…we are delighted. The music is beautiful, and Maestro Matvejeff worked hard tonight, conducting and playing non-stop. We really enjoyed it!”
“Though they are all first-rate, I would like to especially point out Franko Klisović, because Händel wrote some roles for countertenors, and it is difficult to find them in Croatia, so the performance is already a great success. The replacement performers were very successful. Brilliant! After this, we would love for the baroque operas to continue to be staged so we can hear another Händel in Rijeka.”
“Bravo, bravo, bravo!”
