The premiere of the opera by George Frederic Handel Giulio Cesare in Egitto took place on the 20th of February 1724 at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London. It became one of the composer’s greatest triumphs.

It was followed by further success, which was proved by its multiple renewals in London and productions on the continent – in Paris, Braunschweig and Hamburg.

The enthusiastic reception by the audience was facilitated by the outstanding cast at the premiere: alto castrato Senesino (Guilio Cesare), soprano Francesca Cuzzoni (Cleopatra), alto castrato Gaetano Berenstadt (Tolomeo), contralto Anastasia Robinson (Cornelia), soprano Margherita Durastanti (Sesto), bass Giuseppe Maria Boschi (Achille). All of them were the stars of the operatic stage and collaborated with Handel for many years, as participants of an enterprise that he managed. Later, when new artists were introduced, the composer rewrote the parts for voices of different tessiture. That way the part of a young Sesto was given to tenors and the role of Tolomeo was performed by Francesca Bertolli (contralto). The name of the opera varied even during the life of the composer. For instance, in Braunschweig it was called Giulio Cesare and Cleopatra.