R.M.20.b.3

Except when otherwise stated, the words only of the recitatives are written, without music. f. i is a preliminary leaf with a note by Nicolai (‘This opera wants all the Recitativ: and seems very incomplete’). Reversing the volume, on f. 154v, is a repetition of the beginning of the chorus ‘Ritorni omai’. Between ff. 27 and 28, 32 and 33, 55 and 56, 114 and 115 are leaves ruled with staves but otherwise blank. not foliated; ff. 20v, 24v, 31v, 34v, 36v, 55v, 66v, 69v, 71v, 93r, 94v, 106r, 114v and 152v are ruled with staves but otherwise blank. The arrangement of the MS. is as follows (references to pages of H-G. LXVIII):

1. f. 1. ‘Ouverture dell Opera Julius Caesar’ (p. 1).

2. f. 3v. ‘Atto Primo, Scena Prima’. The following initials are against the chorus parts: (S.) ‘C D….’; (A.) ‘R. B…’: (T.) ‘G…’; (B.) ‘l G. B…’. No tempo is marked (p. 5).

3. f. 6v. ‘Presti omai’. A different setting from that on p. 8.

4. f. 7v. Recitatives (pp. 11-13).

5. ff. 9v-11v. ‘Empio dirò tu sei’ (p. 13).

6. f. 12. Recitatives (p. 15).

7. f. 13. ‘Son nato [sic] a sospirar’, in F sharp minor (p. 48).

8. f. 15v. Scena 5 (p. 20). The words are different. Nireno is called Berenice throughout the Act.

9. f. 16. ‘Tutto può’ (p. 30) in G major.

10. f. 18v. A short recitative (‘Tosto si vada…è d’ogni impresa’) for Cleopatra, followed by ‘Scena 6. Tolomeo, che viene incontro a Cleopatra mentre vuol partire’. Recitative: ‘Tu di regnar…ch’è mio con-’ (H-G, p.20) continues on f. 21.

11. f. 19. ‘Non disperar’ (p. 21).

12. f. 21. End of recitative (‘-tendo…gli amori’) from f. 18v (p. 21). ‘Non disperar’ in D.

13. f. 23. ‘Nel tuo seno’ (p 34).

14. f. 25. ‘Presti omai’ (p. 8).

15. ff. 28-29. Recitative (text only), and ‘Svegliatevi nel core’ (p. 17).

16. ff. 30-31. ‘Venere bella’ (p. 76).

17. f. 32. ‘Cara speme’ (p. 36).

18. ff. 33-34. ‘Di te compagna fida’. Air for Alto (not in H-G.).

19. ff. 35-36. ‘Di te compagna fida’ (another setting, unfinished).

20. ff. 37-40v. ‘L’empio, sleale’. In a German handwriting (similar to the copy of Floridante, 1721, cf. R.M.19.f.4.; Smith’s hand according to Donald Burrows and Martha J. Ronish, A Catalogue of Handel’s Musical Autographs (Oxford: Clarendon, 1994), p. 34; there is also a pencil note on top of f. 37 indicating that it is ‘Smith’s writing’.) with passages crossed out and text altered by Handel. The voice part is in the Soprano clef, marked ‘Otto’. Stage direction at the end of the song: ‘Mentre vuol partire vien rincontrato nella scena da Emilia ed egli resta immobile’.

21. f. 41. ‘L’empio, sleale’. The autograph of the original version, without the alterations in the copy on ff. 37-40.

22. ff. 44v. (a) Fragments of recitative (with music) marked: ‘for Otho’ [Act III, sc. 8]. (b) ‘For the Opera Emilia. (Mentre vuol partire vien incontrato nella scena da Emilia ed egli resta immobile)’.

23. f. 45. Recitatives (p. 23).

24. ff. 46-47. ‘Alma del gran Pompeo’ (p. 26).

25. ff. 47v-48. Recitatives (p. 28). The first words are ‘Due nobili donzelle chiedon’ (not as in H-G. which follows the printed libretto).

26. f. 48v. ‘Non è si vago’, in F major.

27. f. 49. Recitatives (p. 33) slightly different from those both in H-G. and the printed libretto.

28. f. 49v. ‘Nel tuo seno’. A setting for S., different from that on p. 34.

29. ff. 50-51. Recitatives (p. 35). The end of the scene is slightly different.

30. f. 51v-52v. ‘Speranza mi dice’. Air (S.) [?for Cleopatra] not in H-G.

31. ff. 53-55. ‘Tu la mia stella sei’ (p. 38).

32. f. 56. Recitatives (p. 40).

33. ff. 56v-58. ‘Questo core incatenato’. Air (S.) not in H-G.

34. ff. 58v-59v. Recitatives – in one scene (p. 44).

35. ff. 60-61. ‘Se a me non sei crudele’ (p. 65).

36. ff. 61v-63. Recitatives (p. 47). ‘Priva son d’ogni conforto’ in E major (p. 15).

37. f. 63. Recitatives (‘Priggioniera [sic] Cornelia?…al predator Tiranno’) for Cleopatra and Berenice, not in H-G.

38. f. 63v. ‘Va tacito nascosto’ [originally ‘soletto’] in F major (p. 40) with the indication ‘Corn.’ (abbreviation for ‘corno’) meaning the horn obbligato, not Cornelia. The aria was originally written for Berenice, with different words in the B section, deleted and replaced by the text in H-G..

39. f. 66. Recitative (‘Adesso è il tempo…sia regina’) for Cleopatra, not in H-G.

40. ff. 67-69. ‘Tu sei il cor’ (p. 45).

41. ff. 70-71. ‘Nobil cor non può mirare’. Air (A) for Berenice, not in H-G.

42. ff. 72-74v. ‘’Tutto può donna’ (p. 30).

43. f. 74v. ‘Fine dell’Atto Primo’.

44. f. 75. ‘Atto 2do Scena Prima’ (p. 51). Nireno (in Alto clef) replaces Berenice.

45. ff. 76-77. ‘Taci! che fia’ (p. 52, version A).

46. ff. 78-79. Recitative and ‘V’adoro’ (p. 56).

47. f. 79v. Recitatives (p. 58).

48. ff. 80-83v. ‘Se in fiorito ameno’ (p. 60).

49. f. 84. ‘Deh piangete’ (p. 64) and recitatives down to ‘Ella mi’.

50. ff. 85-86v. ‘Se a me non sei crudele’ (p. 65) in a copyist’s handwriting [pencil note at foot of page ‘Smith’s writing’], followed by recitatives (p. 47) and direction: ‘L’Aria’.

51. f. 87. The rest of the recitatives continued from ‘Ella mi’ (f. 84v.) (p. 65).

52. ff. 87v-88v. Recitatives (p. 66) and ‘Si spietata’ (p. 67) – music only, without words.

53. f. 89. Recitatives (p. 68) down to ‘molto, molto ti’ (p. 69).

54. ff. 90-91v. ‘Cessa omai’ (p. 69).

55. ff. 92-97. End of recitative (devo…impresa’) p. 69. ‘parte Nireno e Cornelia’. Sesto. ‘Figlio non è…morte’ (p. 71) and ‘L’angue offeso’ (p. 72).

56. ff. 97v-99. Recitatives (p. 75) and ‘Venere bella’ (differing from version on p. 76).

57. f. 99. Recitatives (p. 77) down to ‘arrecar l’avviso’ (p. 78).

58. ff. 100-101v. ‘Al lampo dell’armi’ (p. 79).

59. f. 102. The names of the ‘Congiurati’ are thus given: (a) in the margin: ‘Durast[anti]. Sin[esino]. Rob[inson]. Bern[stadt]. Big[onsi]. Bos[chi]. la Gard[e]’. (b) Against the notes: ‘D.’, ‘S. R.’, ‘Ber. Big.’, ‘Bos. la Gard.’ (p. 81).

60. f. 102v. ‘Che sento’ (p. 82) down to ‘cor di Marte’.

61. ff. 103-105v. ‘Se pietà’ (p. 83).

62. f. 106. End of recitative ‘Che sento’ (p. 82).

63. ff. 107-108v. ‘Per dar vita’. Air (Cleopatra) – not in H-G.

64. ff. 109-111v. ‘Belle Dee’ (p. 86) and recitatives down to ‘per man del figlio’ (p. 89).

65. ff. 112-114. ‘L’aura [not ‘aure’ as in H-G.] che spira’ (p. 89), unfinished.

66. ff. 115-116v. ‘L’aura che spira’.

67. f. 116v. ‘Fine dell’Atto 2do’.

68. ff. 117-122. Agree with pp. 94-99.

69. ff. 122v-124v. The recitative on f. 122 (p. 99) is followed by ‘Troppo crudeli siete’, air for Cleopatra (not in H-G.).

70. ff. 125-126v. ‘Piangerò’ (p.100).

71. ff. 127-130v. Agree with pp. 102-108 (without the recitatives on p. 108).

72. f. 131. Recitatives, Act II, sc. 8 (pp. 78-9). From ‘Così dunque in Egitto’ to ‘Cesare, fuggi’.

73. f. 132. Recitatives (p. 109, line 2) from ‘fato di favellar’ to ‘Avrò la morte’ (p. 110).

74. ff. 133-135. ‘Quel torrente’ (p. 110).

75. ff. 135v-152. Sc. 6 to 10. Agree with H-G. ‘La Marche’ (p. 126) is not in the MS. The recitatives in the last scene have the music.

76. f. 153. The names of the singers of the chorus are given thus: ‘C[uzzoni] et D.’, ‘R. et S.’, ‘Bern. et Big.’, ‘Bos. et la Ga.’.

77. f. 154. ‘Anno 1723’, at foot of page, in pencil.

Nicola Francesco Haym, composer, poet and theatre manager: Giacomo Francesco Bussani, librettist: Handel's 'Giulio Cesare' to a libretto by Nicola Francesco Haym, after a text by Giacomo Francesco Bussani: 18th cent: Ital.

Frederick Nicolay, royal musician and librarian: Handel's autograph scores annotated by: circa 1760- circa 1809: Autogr.

includes:

• ff. 37-40v John Christopher Smith, formerly Schmidt (Johann Christoph): "L'empio, sleale" from Handel's "Giulio Cesare" (HWV 17) in the hand of John Christopher) Smith: 1723: Ital.