PRJCT Amsterdam / Maarten Engeltjes
V'adoro, pupille
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Recorded on 23 November 2024 in Het Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. View all concerts of PRJCT Amsterdam on this page.
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About this concert
Cleopatra stood before a mirror, adjusting her veil. Egypt was in crisis, and with her brother Ptolemy XIII challenging her rule, she needed Julius Caesar’s support. But instead of approaching him as a queen, she chose a different strategy—disguise, charm, and performance.
She had herself smuggled into his quarters, dressed as a noblewoman. The room was carefully prepared: soft light, rich fabrics, and musicians ready. When Caesar arrived, Cleopatra didn’t speak—she sang.
“V’adoro, pupille”—I adore you, dear eyes… Though written by Handel over 1,700 years later in his opera Giulio Cesare (1724), the aria captures the essence of this moment: Cleopatra using beauty and music to captivate Caesar.
The performance worked. Her voice, presence, and wit began to turn a Roman general into an ally—and eventually, much more.
Programme
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Georg Frideric Händel
V’adoro, pupille
uit: Giulio Cesare, HWV 17, Act II1685-1759
Musicians
- Maarten Engeltjes conntertenor
- Jeanine De Bique soprano
- Ivan Iliev, Joseph Tan violin I
- Alexandra Lopez, Tomoe Badiarov, Anna Jane Lester, Saaya Ikenoya violin II
- Simone Siviero, Annemarie Kosten-Dür viola
- Antonio Pellegrino cello
- Alon Portal double bass
- Federico Forla oboe
- Asako Ueda theorbo
- Edoardo Valorz harpsichord
About the performers
‘A voice that you want to keep listening to,’ is how de Volkskrant newspaper praised Dutch countertenor Maarten Engeltjes on the occasion of his most recent CD release. Engeltjes’ voice - rounded and soothing, honest and glowing and with that golden edge that elevates ‘beautiful’ to ‘excellent’, Engeltjes' voice has over roughly twenty years taken him to the most renowned opera houses and concert stages. With a passion for Baroque and contemporary repertoire, Engeltjes ensures that during every performance his own wonderment at both well-known and lesser-known masterpieces is also experienced intensely by the audience.
With their debut CD on the Sony record label (Bach: Forgotten Arias), 2019 proved a boom year for the career of baroque orchestra PRJCT Amsterdam. The ensemble, founded in 2017 by countertenor Maarten Engeltjes, is not only a breeding ground for talented musicians, but also a safe haven guaranteeing baroque performances with vision and temperament. With its mix of sweet allure and crystal-clear counterpoint, PRJCT Amsterdam stands for baroque with salt and pepper, which will appeal to both aspiring melomaniacs and connoisseurs.