''La morte di Cesare'' (''The Death of Caesar'') is an ''

opera seria ''Opera seria'' (; plural: ''opere serie''; usually called ''dramma per musica'' or ''melodramma serio'') is an Italian musical term which refers to the noble and "serious" style of Italian opera that predominated in Europe from the 1710s to abo ...

'' in three acts by Francesco Bianchi. The

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...

was by Gaetano Sertor, after Shakespeare's play ''

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

''. ''La morte di Cesare'' was one of six texts that Sertor wrote for Bianchi, influencing a popular series of Venetian 'morte' operas in the 1790s. While the murder itself was not shown on the stage, the audience were left with the body of Caesar conspicuously in view during the closing scenes. As with other Bianchi operas, there were innovations: the chorus participated actively in the drama, there was a ballet and a pantomime, a duet for two men, and a final oath scene (''giuramento''), besides the basically unconventional tragic ending.McClymonds, Marita P (1992), 'Sertor, Gaetano' in ''The

New Grove Dictionary of Opera ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera'' is an encyclopedia of opera, considered to be one of the best general reference sources on the subject. It is the largest work on opera in English, and in its printed form, amounts to 5,448 pages in four volu ...

'' vol 4 p 328

Performance history

The opera was first performed at the

Teatro San Samuele Teatro San Samuele was an opera house and theatre located at the Rio del Duca, between Campo San Samuele and Campo Santo Stefano, in Venice. One of several important theatres built in that city by the Grimani family, the theatre opened in 1656 and ...

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

on 27 December 1788.

Roles

Synopsis

The subject of the opera is the conspiracy, led by Cassio, Bruto and Porzia, to murder Giulio Cesare (

) in Rome in 44 BC. Giulio Cesare's loving relationship with Calfurnia forms a subplot.

References

* *McClymonds, Marita P (1992), ''Morte di Cesare, La'' in ''The

'', ed. Stanley Sadie (London) *McClymonds, Marita P (1992), 'Sertor, Gaetano' in ''The

'', ed. Stanley Sadie (London) {{DEFAULTSORT:Morte di Cesare, La Opera seria Operas by Francesco Bianchi 1788 operas Italian-language operas Operas Operas based on works by William Shakespeare Depictions of Julius Caesar in opera Works based on Julius Caesar (play)