CONCERT PERFORMANCE OF H. F. HANDEL`S OPERA “JULIUS CAESAR IN EGYPT”: THE EXPERIENCE OF CONDUCRTING INTERPRETATION

Abstract

Among the operas of G. F. Handel, “Julius Caesar in Egypt” occupies one of the leading places. A significant number of scientific investigations are devoted to the work, which analyze its genre and stylistic features. The focus of this article is the concert performance of G. F. Handel’s opera “Julius Caesar in Egypt”, performed by the Capella Pergolesi chamber orchestra under the direction of V. Saversky in Kharkiv on November 16, 2025. It is emphasized that in the conditions of a concert performance of the opera, the conductor appears not only as an interpreter, but also the author of an abridged version of the opera and the text for the reader. Based on scientific sources, a method of overcoming the difficulties that arise in connection with the reduction of individual numbers and plot lines in order to adapt a large Baroque opera to a concert embodiment is outlined. The novelty of this investigation is an attempt to carry out a scientific reflection on the concert performance of the opera “Julius Caesar in Egypt”. The purpose of the article is to analyze the features of the concert performance of this opera. The article applies historical-culturological, genre-stylistic, and systemic research methods. The conclusions indicate that when performing an opera in a concert version, an adequate reduction strategy should be chosen for the material, which will allow preserving the contours of artistic integrity, reproducing the main moments of dramaturgy, and embodying the figurative characteristics of the main characters. The conditions of the concert performance led to the rejection of the parts of wind instruments in the orchestra, which reduced the color of the orchestral sound, but allowed the creation of a mobile orchestral composition and a mobile orchestral fabric, while preserving all the signs and functional elements of baroque orchestration. The use of a reader as a "compensator" of plot gaps turned out to be an effective tool that ensured a logical connection between the arias and made the baroque plot accessible to the modern listener. This experience confirms that the format of "short opera" in concert performance is promising for popularizing classical art in modern cultural realities.