Love, power, and intrigue in ancient Egypt: with George Frideric Handel's Giulio Cesare in Egitto, the Deutsche Oper Berlin presents one of the most famous operas of the Baroque period. In Scottish director David McVicar's acclaimed production, a colorful and emotional musical theater unfolds between political power games and a passionate love story.
Handel's opera tells the story of the encounter between the Roman general Julius Caesar and the Egyptian queen Cleopatra. While Caesar comes to Egypt to restore political order, Cleopatra greets him with a mixture of strategic cleverness, charm, and coquettish seduction. However, behind the flirtation between the two lies a complex web of political interests and power struggles.
Cleopatra is embroiled in a bitter conflict with her brother Tolomeo over the rule of Egypt. Cornelia and her son Sesto—the widow and son of the murdered Pompey—also become caught up in this dangerous game. In search of protection, they themselves become pawns in political intrigues and fight for their survival.
Hardly any other Baroque opera combines such a broad spectrum of human emotions: strategic seduction, deep moral outrage, love, revenge, and despair stand side by side. With Giulio Cesare in Egitto, which premiered in London in 1724, Handel created one of his most successful works—and to this day, his most frequently performed opera.
In David McVicar's production, which was originally created for the festival in Glyndebourne, England, and later also performed at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Baroque material is brought to life using the techniques of historical soffit theater. The result is an opulent and lively evening of opera that takes the characters' grand emotions just as seriously as the subtle humor of the plot.
Premiere April 25
Further performances: April 28, May 1, 3, and 10, July 5 and 8, 2026
