6-17 April 2003. Conducted by Rinaldo Alessandrini, directed by Luca Ronconi, with Daniela Barcellona, Maria Bayo / Elisabetta Scano.

Visitors to the region of Emilia Romagna this spring can combine a visit to a beautiful city with a pleasant evening at the opera. This production comes from Teatro Real in Madrid, where it was staged last November. It takes director Luca Ronconi just a few columns and two huge screens to evoke a fairytale Egypt reminiscent of classic Hollywood movies: while the characters sing their splendid arias, the unforgettable images of Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh and also of Alberto Sordi in Fellinis Lo sceicco bianco play across the screens behind them. The conductor is Rinaldo Alessandrini, a specialist in baroque and 18th-century music. The singers are also experienced in this genre: among them Daniela Barcellona in the part of Giulio Cesare and Maria Bayo as Cleopatra stand out. In the performances of 15 and 17 April, Bayo will be substituted by Elisabetta Scano.