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Baroque opera is an acquired taste, but this 1984 English National Opera production of Julius Caesar, sacrificing some elements of authenticity, makes it fairly easy to acquire. Handel's Italian text is sung in an English translation, with subtitles to enhance clarity. The long, complex score is somewhat shortened and simplified, and the soloists (particularly the expertly cast women) are attentive to dramatic as well as musical values. Set and costume designs are generally excellent, with the notable exception of the absurd costume James Bowman wears in the role of Ptolemy. Musically, Charles Mackerras conducts with a fine sense of Handelian style, and the singers scrupulously observe baroque conventions on phrasing and ornamentation. Caesar was one of Janet Baker's classic roles, and it is good to have it on video, though it would have been even better if it had been taped a few years earlier. Della Jones, Sarah Walker, and Valerie Masterson are excellent. --Joe McLellan
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