Before Handel's celebrated Giulio Cesare captivated audiences throughout Europe, Antonio Sartorio had already created his own magnificent setting of this timeless libretto. Now experience, 350 years after the Venetian premiere, this extraordinary work as it was meant to be heard – performed on historical instruments in the first modern production.

Under the direction of Attilio Cremonesi, this live recording from the Innsbrucker Festwochen reveals a composer of remarkable inventiveness: 55 magnificent arias and duets that illustrate the emergence of the high Baroque vocal tradition. With a splendid continuo ensemble and richly orchestrated accompaniment, Sartorio's Giulio Cesare in Egitto forms an important link between the vocal art of the Renaissance and the later masterworks of opera.