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Agrippina (HWV 6) is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel, from a libretto by Cardinal Vincenzo Grimani. Composed for the 1709–10 Venice Carnevale season, the opera tells the story of Agrippina, the mother of Nero, as she plots the downfall of the Roman Emperor Claudius and the installation of her son as emperor. Grimani's libretto, considered one of the best that Handel set, is an "anti-heroic satirical comedy", full of topical political allusions. Some analysts believe that it reflects the rivalry of Grimani with Pope Clement XI.

Agrippina (HWV 6) is een opera seria in drie bedrijven van George Frideric Handel, uit een libretto door kardinaal Vincenzo Grimani. Gecomponeerd voor de 1709-1710 Venetië Carnevale seizoen, de opera vertelt het verhaal van Agrippina, de moeder van Nero, toen ze de ondergang van de Romeinse keizer Claudius en de installatie van haar zoon als keizer uitzet. Grimani's libretto, beschouwd als een van de beste die Handel te stellen, is een "anti-heroïsche satirische komedie", vol met actuele politieke toespelingen. Sommige analisten geloven dat het weerspiegelt de rivaliteit van Grimani met paus Clemens XI.

Handel composed Agrippina at the end of a three-year visit to Italy. It premiered in Venice at the Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo on 26 December 1709, and was an immediate success. From its opening night it was given a then-unprecedented run of 27 consecutive performances, and received much critical acclaim. Observers were full of praise for the quality of the music—much of which, in keeping with the contemporary custom, had been borrowed and adapted from other works, including some from other composers. Despite the evident public enthusiasm for the work, Handel did not promote further stagings. There were occasional productions in the years following its premiere but, when Handel's operas fell out of fashion in the mid-18th century, it and his other dramatic works were generally forgotten.

Handel samengesteld Agrippina aan het einde van een bezoek van drie jaar naar Italië. Het première in Venetië in het Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo op 26 december 1709, en het was meteen een succes. Vanaf de opening nacht kreeg een toenmalige ongekende run van 27 opeenvolgende optredens, en kreeg veel lovende kritieken. Waarnemers waren vol lof over de kwaliteit van de muziek-waarvan een groot deel, in overeenstemming met de hedendaagse gewoonte, had geleend en aangepast van andere werken, waaronder een aantal uit andere componisten. Ondanks de evidente publieke enthousiasme voor het werk, Handel niet verder ensceneringen te promoten. Er waren incidentele producties in de jaren na de première, maar toen Händels opera's uit de mode viel in het midden van de 18e eeuw werden deze en zijn andere toneelstukken het algemeen vergeten.

In de 20e eeuw, Handelian opera begon een opleving, die na producties in Duitsland, zag Agrippina première in Groot-Brittannië en in Amerika. In de afgelopen jaren de prestaties van het werk zijn steeds vaker, met innovatieve ensceneringen op de New York City Opera en het London Coliseum in 2007. Modern kritische mening is dat Agrippina is Händel's eerste opera meesterwerk, vol van frisheid en muzikale uitvinding die het een van de meest populaire opera's van de aanhoudende Händel revival hebben gemaakt.

AFBEELDING TEKST

Johann Matheson of Hamburg, an early influence of Handel's operas.

Handel's earliest opera compositions, in the German style, date from his Hamburg years, 1704–06, under the influence of Johann Mattheson. In 1706 he travelled to Italy where he remained for three years,  developing his compositional skills. Initially he stayed in Florence where he was introduced to Alessandro and Domenico Scarlatti, and where his first Italian opera was composed and performed. This was Rodrigo (1707, original title Vincer se stesso ê la maggior vittoria), in which the Hamburg and Mattheson influences remained prominent. The opera was not particularly successful, but was part of Handel's process of learning to compose opera in the Italian style and to set Italian words to music.

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Händels opera vroegste composities, in de Duitse stijl, de datum van zijn Hamburg jaar, 1704-1706, onder invloed van Johann Mattheson. In 1706 reisde hij naar Italië, waar hij bleef voor drie jaar, de ontwikkeling van zijn compositorische vaardigheden. Aanvankelijk bleef hij in Florence, waar hij werd voorgesteld aan Alessandro en Domenico Scarlatti, en waar zijn eerste Italiaanse opera werd gecomponeerd en uitgevoerd. Dit was Rodrigo (1707, oorspronkelijke titel Vincer se stesso ê la Maggior vittoria), waarin de Hamburg en Mattheson invloeden bleef prominent. De opera was niet bijzonder succesvol, maar maakte deel uit van Händels proces van leren opera te componeren in de Italiaanse stijl en de Italiaanse woorden op muziek gezet.

After Florence, Handel spent time in Rome, where the performance of opera was forbidden by Papal decree, and in Naples. He was able to apply himself to the composition of cantata and oratorio; at that time there was little difference (apart from increasing length) between cantata, oratorio and opera, all based on the alternation of secco recitative and aria da capo. Works from this period include Dixit Dominus, and the dramatic cantata Aci, Galatea e Polifemo, written in Naples. While in Rome, Handel had become acquainted with Cardinal Vincenzo Grimani, probably through Alessandro Scarlatti. The Cardinal was a distinguished diplomat who wrote libretti in his spare time, and acted as an unofficial theatrical agent for the Italian royal courts. He was evidently impressed by Handel, and asked him to set his new libretto, Agrippina. Grimani intended to present this opera in Venice, at his family-owned theatre, the Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo, as part of the 1709–10 Carnevale season.

Na Florence, Handel tijd doorgebracht in Rome, waar de prestaties van de opera werd verboden door pauselijk decreet, en in Napels. Hij was in staat om zichzelf van toepassing op de samenstelling van de cantate en oratorium; in die tijd was er weinig verschil (afgezien van toenemende lengte) tussen cantate, oratorium en opera, allemaal gebaseerd op de afwisseling van secco recitatief en aria da capo. Werken uit deze periode zijn onder andere Dixit Dominus, en de dramatische cantate Aci, Galatea e Polifemo, geschreven in Napels. Terwijl in Rome, had Händel kennis met kardinaal Vincenzo Grimani, waarschijnlijk door middel van Alessandro Scarlatti geworden. De kardinaal was een voorname diplomaat die libretti schreef in zijn vrije tijd, en trad op als een onofficiële theatrale agent voor de Italiaanse koninklijke hoven. Hij was blijkbaar onder de indruk van Handel, en vroeg hem om zijn nieuwe libretto, Agrippina te stellen. Grimani bedoeld om deze opera te presenteren in Venetië, bij zijn familiebedrijf theater, het Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo, als onderdeel van de 1709-1710 Carnevale seizoen.

AFBEELDING TEKST

Johann Mattheson of Hamburg, an early influence of Handel's opera's

Handel's earliest opera compositions, in the German style, date from his Hamburg years, 1704–06, under the influence of Johann Mattheson. In 1706 he travelled to Italy where he remained for three years,  developing his compositional skills. Initially he stayed in Florence where he was introduced to Alessandro and Domenico Scarlatti, and where his first Italian opera was composed and performed. This was Rodrigo (1707, original title Vincer se stesso ê la maggior vittoria), in which the Hamburg and Mattheson influences remained prominent. The opera was not particularly successful, but was part of Handel's process of learning to compose opera in the Italian style and to set Italian words to music.

After Florence, Handel spent time in Rome, where the performance of opera was forbidden by Papal decree, and in Naples. He was able to apply himself to the composition of cantata and oratorio; at that time there was little difference (apart from increasing length) between cantata, oratorio and opera, all based on the alternation of secco recitative and aria da capo. Works from this period include Dixit Dominus, and the dramatic cantata Aci, Galatea e Polifemo, written in Naples. While in Rome, Handel had become acquainted with Cardinal Vincenzo Grimani, probably through Alessandro Scarlatti. The Cardinal was a distinguished diplomat who wrote libretti in his spare time, and acted as an unofficial theatrical agent for the Italian royal courts. He was evidently impressed by Handel, and asked him to set his new libretto, Agrippina. Grimani intended to present this opera in Venice, at his family-owned theatre, the Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo, as part of the 1709–10 Carnevale season.

Writing history

Composition

According to John Mainwaring, Handel's first biographer, Agrippina was composed in three weeks, after Handel's arrival in Venice in November 1709, a theory supported by the autograph manuscript's Venetian paper. In composing the opera Handel borrowed extensively from his earlier oratorios and cantatas, and from other composers including Reinhard Keiser, Arcangelo Corelli and Jean-Baptiste Lully. This adapting and borrowing was common practice at the time, but its extent in Agrippina is greater than in almost all the composer's other major dramatic works. The overture, which is a French-style two-part work with a "thrilling" allegro, and all but five of the vocal numbers, are based on earlier works, in many cases after significant adaptation and reworking.

Volgens John Mainwaring, Händel's eerste biograaf, werd Agrippina gecomponeerd in drie weken, na de aankomst van Händel in Venetië in november 1709, een theorie wordt ondersteund door de Venetiaanse papier van de handtekening manuscript. Bij de samenstelling van de opera Handel geleend uitvoerig uit zijn eerdere oratoria en cantates, en van andere componisten, waaronder Reinhard Keiser, Arcangelo Corelli en Jean-Baptiste Lully. Deze aanpassing en lenen was gebruikelijk in die tijd, maar de mate in Agrippina is groter dan in bijna alle andere grote dramatische werken van de componist. De ouverture, dat is een Franse stijl tweedelige werk met een "spannende" allegro, en alle, maar vijf van de vocale nummers, zijn gebaseerd op de eerdere werken, in veel gevallen na een aanzienlijke aanpassing en bewerking.

Examples of recycled material include Pallas's "Col raggio placido", which is based on Lucifer's aria from La resurrezione (1708), "O voi dell' Erebo", which was itself adapted from Reinhard Keiser's 1705 opera Octavia. Agrippina's aria "Non ho cor che per amarti" was taken, almost entirely unadapted, from "Se la morte non vorrà" in Handel's earlier dramatic cantata Qual ti reveggio, oh Dio (1707); Narcissus's "Spererò" is an adaptation of "Sai perchè" from another 1707 cantata, Clori, Tirsi e Fileno; and parts of Nero's Act 3 aria "Come nube che fugge dal vento" are borrowed Handel's oratorio Il trionfo del tempo (all from 1707). Later, some of Agrippina's music was used by Handel in his London operas Rinaldo (1711) and the 1732 version of Acis and Galatea, in each case with little or no change. The first music by Handel heard in London may have been Agrippina's "Non ho cor che", transposed into Alessandro Scarlatti's opera Pirro è Dimitrio which was performed in London on 6 December 1710. The Agrippina overture and other arias from the opera appeared in pasticcios performed in London between 1710 and 1714, with additional music provided by other composers. Echoes of "Ti vo' giusta" (one of the few arias composed specifically for Agrippina) can be found in the air "He was despised", from Handel's Messiah (1742).

Voorbeelden van gerecycled materiaal bevatten Pallas 'Col raggio Placido ", die is gebaseerd op Lucifer's aria uit La Resurrezione (1708)," O voi dell' Erebo ", die zelf werd aangepast van Reinhard Keiser's 1705 opera Octavia. Agrippina's aria 'Non ho cor che per amarti "werd genomen, bijna volledig onaangepaste, van" Se la morte non Vorra' in Handel eerdere dramatische cantate Qual ti reveggio, oh Dio (1707); Narcissus's "Spererò 'is een bewerking van" Sai perchè "van een andere 1707 cantate, Clori, Tirsi e Fileno; en delen van Nero's Act 3 aria "Als wolk die vlucht van de wind" worden geleend het oratorium De Triomf van de tijd (allemaal uit 1707). Later, sommige muziek Agrippina werd door Handel in zijn opera Rinaldo Londen (1711) en de 1732-versie van Acis en Galatea, telkens met weinig of geen verandering. De eerste muziek van Handel gehoord in Londen mag Agrippina's "Non ho cor che" zijn geweest, omgezet in Alessandro Scarlatti opera Pirro è Dimitrio die werd uitgevoerd in Londen op 6 december 1710. De Agrippina ouverture en andere aria's uit de opera verscheen in pasticcios uitgevoerd in Londen tussen 1710 en 1714, met extra muziek verzorgd door andere componisten. Echoes of "Ti vo 'giusta" (een van de weinige aria speciaal gecomponeerd voor Agrippina) kan worden gevonden in de lucht "Hij was veracht", uit Händels Messiah (1742).

Two of the main male roles, Nero and Narcissus, were written for castrati, the "superstars of their day" in Italian opera. The opera was revised significantly before and possibly during its run. For example, in Act III Handel originally had Otho and Poppaea sing a duet, "No, no, ch'io non apprezzo", but he was dissatisfied with the music and replaced the duet with two solo arias before the first performance. Again, during the run Poppaea's aria "Ingannata" was replaced with another of extreme virtuosity,"Pur punir chi m'ha ingannata", either to emphasise Poppaea's new-found resolution at this juncture of the opera or, as is thought more likely, to flatter Scarabelli by giving her further opportunity to show off her vocal abilities.

Twee van de belangrijkste mannelijke rollen, Nero en Narcissus, zijn geschreven voor castraten, de "supersterren van hun dag" in de Italiaanse opera. De opera was significant eerder en mogelijk herzien tijdens zijn run. Bijvoorbeeld, in Act III Handel oorspronkelijk had Otho en Poppaea zingen een duet, "Nee, nee, ch'io non apprezzo ', maar hij was niet tevreden met de muziek en vervangen door het duet met twee solo-aria's voor de eerste voorstelling. Nogmaals, tijdens het experiment Poppaea's aria 'Ingannata "werd vervangen door een andere extreme virtuositeit," Pur punir chi m'ha ingannata ", ofwel om te benadrukken Poppaea's pas ontdekte resolutie op dit moment van de opera of, als wordt gedacht waarschijnlijker, vleien Scarabelli door haar nieuwe gelegenheid om te pronken met haar vocale capaciteiten.

The instrumentation for Handel's score follows closely that of all his early operas, and consists of two recorders, two oboes, two trumpets, three violins, two cellos, viola, timpani, contrabassoon and harpsichord. By the later standards of Handel's London operas this scoring is light, but there are nevertheless what Dean and Knapp describe as "moments of splendour when Handel applies the full concerto grosso treatment." Agrippina, Handel's second Italian opera, was probably his last composition in Italy.

De instrumenten voor Handel's score sluit nauw aan bij dat van al zijn vroege opera's, en bestaat uit twee recorders, twee hobo's, twee trompetten, drie violen, twee cello's, altviool, pauken, contrabassoon en klavecimbel. Door de latere normen van Händels opera's London Dit scoren is licht, maar er zijn toch wat Dean en Knapp beschrijven als 'momenten van glorie wanneer Handel geldt de volledige concerto grosso behandeling. "Agrippina, tweede Italiaanse opera van Händel, was waarschijnlijk zijn laatste compositie in Italië.

Grimani's libretto is based on much the same story used  as the subject of Monteverdi's 1642 opera L'incoronazione di Poppea. Grimani's libretto centres on Agrippina, a character who does not appear in Monteverdi's darker version. Grimani avoids the "moralizing" tone of the later opera seria libretti written by acknowledged masters such as Metastasio and Zeno. According to the critic Donald Jay Grout,  "irony, deception and intrigue pervade the humorous escapades of its well-defined characters." All the main characters, with the sole exception of Claudius's servant Lesbus, are historical, and the broad outline of the libretto draws heavily upon Tacitus's Annals and Suetonius' Life of Claudius. It has been suggested that the comical, amatory character of the Emperor Claudius is a caricature of Pope Clement XI, to whom Grimani was politically opposed. Certain aspects of this conflict are also reflected in the plot: the rivalry between Nero and Otho mirror aspects of the debate over the War of the Spanish Succession, in which Grimani supported the Habsburgs, and Pope Clement XI France and Spain.

Grimani's libretto is gebaseerd op ongeveer hetzelfde verhaal als het onderwerp van Monteverdi's 1642 opera L'Incoronazione di Poppea. Grimani's libretto centra op Agrippina, een personage dat niet voorkomt in donkere versie van Monteverdi's. Grimani vermijdt de "moraliseren" toon van de latere opera seria libretti geschreven door erkende meesters als Metastasio en Zeno. Volgens de criticus Donald Jay Grout, "ironie, bedrog en intriges doordringen de humoristische escapades van haar goed gedefinieerde karakters. "Alle hoofdpersonen, met als enige uitzondering van Claudius knecht Lesbus, historische, en de hoofdlijnen van het libretto trekt zwaar op Tacitus's Annals en Suetonius 'Leven van Claudius. Er is gesuggereerd dat de komische, liefdes karakter van de keizer Claudius is een karikatuur van paus Clemens XI, aan wie Grimani politiek was tegen. Bepaalde aspecten van dit conflict worden ook weerspiegeld in de plot: de rivaliteit tussen Nero en Otho spiegel aspecten van het debat over de Spaanse Successieoorlog, waarin Grimani steunde de Habsburgers, en paus Clemens XI Frankrijk en Spanje.

Act 1

On hearing the news that her husband, the Emperor Claudius, has died in a storm at sea, Agrippina plots to secure the throne for Nero, her son by a previous marriage. Nero is unenthusiastic about this project, but assents to his mother's wishes ("Con saggio tuo consiglio"). Agrippina obtains the support of her two freedmen, Pallas and Narcissus, who hail Nero as the new Emperor before the Senate.

Bedrijf 1

Bij het horen van het nieuws dat haar man, de keizer Claudius, is overleden in een storm op zee, Agrippina plots op de troon voor Nero, haar zoon veilig te stellen door een vorig huwelijk. Nero is niet enthousiast over dit project, maar instemt met de wensen van zijn moeder ( "Con Saggio tuo consiglio"). Agrippina krijgt de steun van haar twee vrijgelatenen, Pallas en Narcissus, die Nero hagel als de nieuwe keizer voor de Senaat. Zij adviseert Claudius dat hij ambities Otho's eens en voor altijd moet eindigen door afstand te doen ten gunste van Nero.

With the Senate's assent Agrippina and Nero begin to ascend the throne, but the ceremony is interrupted by the entrance of Claudius's servant Lesbus. He announces that his master is alive ("Allegrezza! Claudio giunge!"), saved from death by Otho, the commander of the army. Otho himself confirms the story, and reveals that Claudius has promised him the throne as a mark of gratitude. Agrippina is frustrated, until Otho secretly confides to her that he loves the beautiful Poppaea more than he desires the throne. Agrippina, aware that Claudius also loves Poppaea, sees a new opportunity of furthering her ambitions for Nero. She goes to Poppaea and tells her, falsely, that Otho has struck a bargain with Claudius whereby he, Otho, gains the throne but gives Poppaea to Claudius. Agrippina advises Poppaea to turn the tables on Otho by telling the Emperor that Otho has ordered her to refuse Claudius's attentions. This, Agrippina believes, will make Claudius revoke his promise to Otho of the throne.

Met instemming van de Senaat Agrippina en Nero beginnen om de troon te bestijgen, maar de ceremonie wordt onderbroken door de ingang van Claudius dienaar Lesbus. Hij kondigt aan dat zijn meester in leven is ( "Allegrezza! Claudio giunge!"), Van de dood gered door Otho, de bevelhebber van het leger. Otho zelf bevestigt het verhaal en onthult dat Claudius hem de troon als een teken van dankbaarheid heeft beloofd. Agrippina is gefrustreerd, totdat Otho geheim toevertrouwt aan haar dat hij houdt van de prachtige Poppaea meer dan hij wenst de troon. Agrippina, zich ervan bewust dat Claudius houdt ook van Poppaea, ziet een nieuwe kans op de bevordering van haar ambities voor Nero. Ze gaat naar Poppaea en vertelt haar, ten onrechte, dat Otho een koopje met Claudius waardoor hij, Otho, krijgt de troon, maar geeft Poppaea Claudius heeft geslagen. Agrippina adviseert Poppaea de tabellen op Otho zetten door het vertellen van de keizer die Otho haar heeft bevolen om Claudius aandacht te weigeren. Dit, Agrippina gelooft, zal Claudius herroepen zijn belofte om Otho van de troon. Met instemming van de Senaat Agrippina en Nero beginnen om de troon te bestijgen, maar de ceremonie wordt onderbroken door de ingang van Claudius dienaar Lesbus. Hij kondigt aan dat zijn meester in leven is ( "Allegrezza! Claudio giunge!"), Van de dood gered door Otho, de bevelhebber van het leger. Dit, Agrippina gelooft, zal Claudius herroepen zijn belofte om Otho van de troon.

Poppaea believes Agrippina. When Claudius arrives at Poppaea's house she denounces what she believes is Otho's treachery. Claudius departs in fury, while Agrippina cynically consoles Poppaea by declaring that their friendship will never be broken by deceit ("Non ho cor che per amarti").

Poppae gelooft Agrippina. Toen Claudius arriveert bij het huis van Poppaea's hekelt ze wat zij gelooft is Otho's verraad. Claudius vertrekt in woede, terwijl Agrippina cynisch consoles Poppaea door te verklaren dat hun vriendschap nooit zal worden gebroken door bedrog ( "Non ho cor che per amarti").

Act 2

Pallas and Narcissus realize that Agrippina has tricked them into supporting Nero, and decide to have no more to do with her. Otho arrives, nervous about his forthcoming coronation ("Coronato il crin d'alloro"), followed by Agrippina, Nero and Poppaea, who have come to greet Claudius. All combine in a triumphal chorus ("Di timpani e trombe"), as Claudius enters. Each in turns pays tribute to the Emperor, but Otho is coldly rebuffed as Claudius denounces him as a traitor. Otho is devastated, and appeals to Agrippina, Poppaea, and Nero for support, but they all reject him, leaving him in bewilderment and despair ("Otton, qual portentoso fulmine" followed by "Voi che udite il mio lamento").

Bedrijf 2

Pallas en Narcissus beseffen dat Agrippina hen heeft misleid in het ondersteunen van Nero, en besluiten om niet meer met haar te maken hebben. Otho arriveert, nerveus over zijn aanstaande kroning ( "Coronato il Crin d'Alloro"), gevolgd door Agrippina, Nero en Poppaea, die zijn gekomen om Claudius te begroeten. Alle combineren in een triomfantelijke refrein ( "Di pauken e Trombe"), als Claudius binnenkomt. Elke beurt een eerbetoon aan de keizer, maar Otto is koel afgewezen als Claudius hekelt hem als een verrader. Otho is er kapot van, en doet een beroep op Agrippina, Poppaea en Nero voor ondersteuning, maar ze hebben allemaal verwerpen hem, waardoor hij in verbijstering en wanhoop ( "Otto, qual portentoso fulmine", gevolgd door "Voi che UDiTE il mio Lamento").

However,  Poppaea is touched by her former beloved's grief, and wonders if he might not be innocent ("Bella pur nel mio diletto"). She devises a plan, which involves pretended sleep and, when Otho approaches her, sleep-talking what Agrippina has told her earlier. Otho, as intended, overhears her and fiercely protests his innocence. He convinces Poppaea that Agrippina has deceived her. Poppaea swears revenge ("Ingannata una sol volta", alternate aria "Pur punir chi m'ha ingannata") but is distracted when Nero comes forward and declares his love for her. Meanwhile Agrippina, having lost the support of Pallas and Narcissus, manages to convince Claudius that Otho is still plotting to take the throne. She advises Claudius that he should end Otho's ambitions once and for all by abdicating in favour of Nero. Claudius agrees, believing that this will enable him to win Poppaea.

Echter, Poppaea wordt geraakt door haar vroegere geliefde verdriet, en vraagt ​​zich af of hij niet onschuldig zou zijn ( "Bella pur nel mio diletto"). Ze bedenkt een plan, dat voorgewende slaap gaat en wanneer Otho haar benadert, slaap-praten wat Agrippina haar eerder heeft verteld. Otho, zoals de bedoeling is, hoort haar en fel protesteert zijn onschuld. Hij overtuigt Poppaea dat Agrippina haar heeft bedrogen. Poppaea zweert wraak ( "Ingannata una volta sol", alternatieve aria "Pur punir chi m'ha ingannata"), maar wordt afgeleid als Nero komt naar voren en verklaart zijn liefde voor haar. Ondertussen Agrippina, die de steun van Pallas en Narcissus verloren, slaagt erin om Claudius te overtuigen dat Otho nog samenzwering om de troon te nemen. Zij adviseert Claudius dat hij ambities Otho's eens en voor altijd moet eindigen door afstand te doen ten gunste van Nero. Claudius stemt ermee in, in de overtuiging dat dit zal hem in staat stellen om Poppaea winnen.

Act 3

Poppaea now plans some deceit of her own, in an effort to divert Claudius's wrath from Otho with whom she is now reconciled. She hides Otho in her bedroom with instructions to listen carefully. Soon Nero arrives to press his love on her ("Coll'ardor del tuo bel core"), but she tricks him into hiding as well. Then Claudius enters; Poppaea tells him that he had earlier misunderstood her: it was not Otho but Nero who had ordered her to reject Claudius. To prove her point she asks Claudius to pretend to leave, then she summons Nero who, thinking Claudius has gone, resumes his passionate wooing of Poppaea. Claudius suddenly reappears, and angrily dismisses the crestfallen Nero. After Claudius departs, Poppaea brings Otho out of hiding and the two express their everlasting love in separate arias.

Bedrijf 3

Poppaea plannen nu een aantal bedrog van haar eigen, in een poging om Claudius toorn van Otho met wie ze nu verzoend te leiden. Ze verstopt Otho in haar slaapkamer met instructies om aandachtig te luisteren. Binnenkort Nero komt te drukken zijn liefde voor haar ( "Coll'ardor del tuo bel kern"), maar ze trucs hem onder te duiken ook. Dan komt Claudius; Poppaea vertelt hem dat hij haar eerder had begrepen: het was niet Otto maar Nero die haar had bevolen om Claudius te weigeren. Om haar punt te bewijzen vraagt ​​ze Claudius om te doen alsof om te vertrekken, dan Nero die denken Claudius is gegaan, hervat zijn hartstochtelijke vrijage van Poppaea roept ze. Claudius plotseling weer verschijnt, en boos ontslaat de beteuterd Nero. Na Claudius vertrekt, Poppaea brengt Otho uit hun schuilplaatsen en de twee uiten hun eeuwige liefde in afzonderlijke aria's.

At the palace, Nero tells Agrippina of his troubles, and decides to renounce love for political ambition ("Come nube che fugge dal vento"). But Pallas and Narcissus have by now revealed Agrippina's original plot to Claudius, so that when Agrippina urges the Emperor to yield the throne to Nero, he accuses her of treachery. She then claims that her efforts to secure the throne for Nero had all along been a ruse to safeguard the throne for Claudius ("Se vuoi pace"). Claudius believes her; nevertheless, when Poppaea, Otho, and Nero arrive, Claudius announces that Nero and Poppaea will marry, and that Otho shall have the throne. No one is satisfied with this arrangement, as their desires have all changed, so Claudius in a spirit of reconciliation reverses his judgement, giving Poppaea to Otho and the throne to Nero. He then summons the goddess Juno, who descends to pronounce a general blessing ("V'accendano le tede i raggi delle stelle").

Bij het paleis, Nero vertelt Agrippina van zijn problemen, en besluit om liefde voor politieke ambitie af te zweren ( "Kom nube che fugge dal vento"). Maar Pallas en Narcissus hebben inmiddels gebleken originele plot Agrippina om Claudius, zodat wanneer Agrippina dringt er bij de keizer op de troon te geven aan Nero, hij haar beschuldigt van verraad. Ze beweert dan dat haar inspanningen om de troon veilig te stellen voor Nero langs een list om de troon voor Claudius ( "Se vuoi pace") te vrijwaren was geweest. Claudius gelooft haar; Toch, toen Poppaea, Otho en Nero arriveren, Claudius kondigt aan dat Nero en Poppaea zal trouwen, en dat Otho de troon zal hebben. Niemand is tevreden met deze regeling, als hun verlangens hebben allemaal veranderd, dus Claudius in een geest van verzoening keert zijn oordeel, het geven van Poppaea om Otho en de troon naar Nero. Hij roept dan de godin Juno, die afdaalt naar een algemene zegen uitspreken ( "V'accendano le Tede i Raggi delle stelle").

The date of Agrippina's first performance, about which there was at one time some uncertainty, has been confirmed by a manuscript newsletter as 26 December 1709. The cast consisted of some of Northern Italy's leading singers of the day, including Antonio Carli in the lead bass role; Margherita Durastanti, who had recently sung the role of Mary Magdalene in Handel's La resurrezione; and Diamante Scarabelli, whose great success at Bologna in the 1697 pasticcio Perseo inspired the publication of a volume of eulogistic verse entitled La miniera del Diamante.

Agrippina proved extremely popular, and established Handel's international reputation. Its original run was for 27 performances, extraordinarily long for that time. Handel's biographer John Mainwaring wrote of the first performance: "The theatre at almost every pause resounded with shouts of Viva il caro Sassone! ('Long live the beloved Saxon!') They were thunderstruck with the grandeur and sublimity of his style, for they had never known till then all the powers of harmony and modulation so closely arranged and forcibly combined." Many others recorded overwhelmingly positive responses to the work.

Later performances

Between 1713 and 1724 there were productions of Agrippina in Naples, Hamburg, and Vienna, although Handel himself never revived the opera after its initial run. The Naples production included additional music by Francesco Mancini. In the later 18th, and throughout the 19th centuries, Handel's operas fell into obscurity, and none were staged between 1754 and 1920. However, when interest in Handel's operas awakened in the 20th century, Agrippina received several revivals, beginning with a 1943 production at Handel's birthplace, Halle, under conductor Richard Kraus at the Halle Opera House. In this performance the alto role of Otho, composed for a woman, was changed into a bass accompanied by English horns, "with calamitous effects on the delicate balance and texture of the score", according to Winton Dean. The Radio Audizioni Italiane produced a live radio broadcast of the opera on 25 October 1953, marking the first time that Agrippina was communicated in a medium other than the stage. The cast included Magda László in the title role and Mario Petri as Claudius, and the performance was conducted by Antonio Pedrotti.

A 1958 performance in Leipzig, and several more stagings in Germany, preceded the British première of the opera at Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1963.[2][39] In 1983 the opera returned to Venice, for a performance under Christopher Hogwood at the Teatro Malibran.[39] In the United States a concert performance had been given on 16 February 1972 at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia,[40] but the opera's first fully staged American performance was in Fort Worth, Texas in 1985.[41] That same year it reached New York, with a concert performance at Alice Tully Hall, the opera still being described at that time as a "genuine rarity".[42] The Fort Worth performance was quickly followed by further American stagings in Iowa City and Boston.[39] The so-called "Early Music Movement", which advocates historically accurate performances of Baroque and early works, promoted two major productions of Agrippina in 1985 and 1991 respectively. Both were in Germany, the first was in the Schlosstheater Schwetzingen, the other at the Göttingen International Handel Festival.[8]

21st century revivals

There have been numerous productions in the 21st century, including a 2002 "ultramodern" staging by director Lillian Groag at the New York City Opera. This production, revived in 2007, was described by the New York Times critic as "odd ... presented as broad satire, a Springtime for Hitler version of I, Claudius", although the musical performances were generally praised. In Britain, the English National Opera (ENO) staged an English-language version in February 2007, directed by David McVicar, which received a broadly favourable critical response, although critic Fiona Maddocks identified features of the production that diminished the work: "Music so witty, inventive and humane requires no extra gilding". Recent revivals have used countertenors in the roles written for castrati.

Agrippina is considered Handel's first operatic masterpiece;[1] according to Winton Dean it has few rivals for its "sheer freshness of musical invention".[19] Grimani's libretto has also come in for much praise: The New Penguin Opera Guide describes it as one of the best Handel ever set, and praises the "light touch" with which the characters are vividly portrayed.[1] Agrippina as a whole is, in the view of the scholar John E. Sawyer, "among the most convincing of all the composer's dramatic works".[12]

AFBEELDING

Music

Style

Stylistically, Agrippina follows the standard pattern of the era by alternating recitative and da capo arias. In accordance with 18th-century opera convention the plot is mainly carried forward in the recitatives, while the musical interest and exploration of character takes place in the arias—although on occasion Handel breaks this mould by using arias to advance the action. With one exception the recitative sections are secco ("dry"), where a simple vocal line is accompanied by continuo only. The anomaly is Otho's "Otton, qual portentoso fulmine", where he finds himself robbed of the throne and deserted by his beloved Poppaea; here the recitative is accompanied by the orchestra, as a means of highlighting the drama. Dean and Knapp describe this, and the Otho's aria which follows, as "the peak of the opera". The 19th-century musical theorist Ebenezer Prout singles out Agrippina's "Non ho cor che per amarti" for special praise. He points out the range of instruments used for special effects, and writes that "an examination of the score of this air would probably astonish some who think Handel's orchestration is wanting in variety."

Handel made more use than was then usual of orchestral accompaniment in arias, but in other respects Agrippina is broadly typical of an older operatic tradition. For the most part the arias are brief, there are only two short ensembles, and in the quartet and the trio the voices are not heard together. However, Handel's style   would change very little in the next 30 years, a point reflected in the reviews of the Tully Hall performance of Agrippina in 1985, which refer to a "string of melodious aria and ensembles, any of which could be mistaken for the work of his mature London years".

Character

Of the main characters, only Otho is not morally contemptible. Agrippina is an unscrupulous schemer; Nero, while not yet the monster he would become, is pampered and hypocritical; Claudius is pompous, complacent, and something of a buffoon, while Poppaea, the first of Handel's sex kittens, is also a liar and a flirt. The freedmen Pallas and Narcissus are self-serving and salacious. All, however, have some redeeming features, and all have arias that express genuine emotion. The situations in which they find themselves are sometimes comic, but never farcical—like Mozart in the Da Ponte operas, Handel avoids laughing at his characters.

In Agrippina the da capo aria is the musical form used to illustrate character in the context of the opera. The first four arias of the work exemplify this: Nero's "Con raggio", in a minor key and with a descending figure on the key phrase "il trono ascenderò" ("I will ascend the throne") characterises him as weak and irresolute. Pallas's first aria "La mia sorte fortunata", with its "wide-leaping melodic phrasing" introduces him as a bold, heroic figure, contrasting with his rival Narcissus whose introspective nature is displayed in his delicate aria "Volo pronto" which immediately follows. Agrippina's introductory aria "L'alma mia" has a mock-military form which reflects her outward power, while subtle musical phrasing establishes her real emotional state. Poppaea's arias are uniformly light and rhythmic, while Claudius's short love song "Vieni O cara" gives a glimpse of his inner feelings, and is considered one of the gems of the score.

Irony

Grimani's libretto is full of irony, which Handel reflects in the music. His settings sometimes illustrate both the surface meaning, as characters attempt to deceive each other, and the hidden truth. For instance, in her Act I aria "Non ho cor che per amarti" Agrippina promises Poppaea that deceit will never mar their new friendship, while tricking her into ruining Otho's chances for the throne. Handel's music illuminates her deceit in the melody and minor modal key, while a simple, emphasised rhythmic accompaniment hints at clarity and openness. In Act III, Nero's announcement that his passion is ended and that he will no longer bound by it (in "Come nube che fugge dal vento") is set to bitter-sweet music which suggests that he is deceiving himself. In Otho's "Coronato il crin" the agitated nature of the music is the opposite of what the "euphoric" tone of the libretto suggests. Contrasts between the force of the libretto and the emotional colour of the actual music would develop into a constant feature of Handel's later London operas.

List of arias and musical numbers

The index of Chrysander's edition (see below) lists the following numbers, excluding the secco recitatives. Variants from the libretto are also noted.

Recordings

Editions

Handel's autograph score survives, with the Sinfonia and first recitatives missing, but is shows significant differences from the libretto, due to changes made for the first performances. Handel's performing score is lost. Three early manuscript copies, probably dating from 1710, are held in Vienna; one of these may have been a gift from Grimani to the future Emperor Charles VI. These copies, presumably based on the lost performing score, show further changes from the autograph. A manuscript from the 1740s known as the "Flower score" is described by Dean as "a miscellany in haphazard order".

In about 1795 the British composer Samuel Arnold produced an edition based on early copies; this edition, while it contains errors and inaccuracies, has been called "probably a reasonable reflection of early performances". The Chrysander edition of 1874 has a tendency to "sweep Arnold aside when he is right and follow him when he is wrong." Musicologist Anthony Hicks calls it "an unfortunate attempt to reconcile the autograph text with Arnold and the wordbook, the result being a composite version of no authority."

In 1950 Barenreiter published Hellmuth Christian Wolff's edition, prepared for the 1943 Halle revival and reflecting the casting of basses for Otto and Narcissus, even when they sing what would otherwise be the alto part in the last chorus. It presents a German adaptation of the recitatives and written out embellishments for the da capo arias as well as numerous cuts. The B flat fugue G 37 appears as an act II overture along with other instrumental music

The Hallische Händelausgabe volume devoted to Agrippina had not appeared as of 2015.

25 According to Hicks, writing in Grove, evidence would suggest that for some performances Durastanti was replaced by Elena Croce, a soprano who had previously sung for Scarlatti and later sang in London, though not for Handel. Hicks, Anthony,

26. In modern terms, Boschi's voice was that of a baritone. Hogwood, p.

28. Carli evidently was able to utilise an exceptionally wide range; the part descends to C below the stave

29. Otho in "Pur ch'io ti stringa" and Poppaea with "Bel piacere"; the final versions of these arias are "No, no, ch'io non apprezzo" and "Sì Sì ch'il mio diletto"

30. In the printed argument Grimani reminds his audience of Poppaea's later change of affections.

33. Memoirs of the Life of the Late George Frederic Handel London. Quoted in Brown,

37. Dean, Handel Tercentenary Collection

46. Recitative", Encyclopædia Britannica, Vol. 9, p 978: "Accompaniment [to secco recitative], usually by continuo (cello and harpsichord), is simple and chordal."

58.

Dean, Winton (1997), Humour with Human Commitment: Handel's "Agrippina (niet vertalen !!)

Essay accompanying Philips recording 438 009-2 by Philips Classical Productions


 * 1) 1 2 3  Brown, pp. 357–58
 * 2) 1 2 3 4
 * 3) 1 2 3  Grout & Weigel, pp. 184–85
 * 4) 1 2 3  Boyden et al., p. 56
 * 5) ↑  Dean (1980), p. 86
 * 6) ↑  Dean (1997), p. 1 c.2
 * 7) ↑  Lang, p. 91
 * 8) 1 2 3 4  Neef, pp. 196–97
 * 9) ↑  Bianconi et al., pp. 12–13
 * 10) ↑  Dean and Knapp, p. 82
 * 11) 1 2  Dean & Knapp, p. 128
 * 12) 1 2 3  Sawyer, p. 531
 * 13) 1 2  Boyden et al., pp. 57–58
 * 14) 1 2 3 4  Dean (1997), p. 2 c.1
 * 15) ↑  Sawyer, pp. 533–41
 * 16) ↑  Dean (1997), p. 5 c.2
 * 17) ↑  Warrack, p. 336
 * 18) ↑  Hicks (1982)
 * 19) 1 2  Dean (1997), p. 5 c.1
 * 20) 1 2  Dean (1997), p. 3 c.2
 * 21) ↑  Sawyer, p. 554
 * 22) ↑  Dean & Knapp, Appendix B
 * 23) ↑  Dean & Knapp, p. 127
 * 24) ↑  Dean p.2 c.2
 * 25) ↑  According to Hicks, writing in Grove, evidence would suggest that for some performances Durastanti was replaced by Elena Croce, a soprano who had previously sung for Scarlatti and later sang in London, though not for Handel. Hicks, Anthony, "Agrippina" in Grove Music Online Retrieved on 8 March 2009.
 * 26) ↑  In modern terms, Boschi's voice was that of a baritone. Hogwood, p. 96
 * 27) ↑  According to Dean (1997), Pasini was a priest.
 * 28) ↑  Carli evidently was able to utilise an exceptionally wide range; the part descends to C below the stave. Dean (1997), p. 4 c.1
 * 29) ↑  Otho in "Pur ch'io ti stringa" and Poppaea with "Bel piacere"; the final versions of these arias are "No, no, ch'io non apprezzo" and "Sì Sì ch'il mio diletto"
 * 30) ↑  In the printed argument Grimani reminds his audience of Poppaea's later change of affections.
 * 31) 1 2  Dean (1997) p. 1 c.1
 * 32) 1 2  Hicks (Grove Music Online)
 * 33) ↑  Mainwaring, John (1760), Memoirs of the Life of the Late George Frederic Handel London. Quoted in Brown, p. 418
 * 34) ↑  Dean (1997) p. 5
 * 35) ↑  Dean & Knapp, p. 130
 * 36) 1 2  Dean (1980), p. 110
 * 37) ↑  Dean, Handel Tercentenary Collection, p. 9
 * 38) 1 2 3  Dean & Knapp, Appendix F
 * 39) ↑  Brown, p. 418
 * 40) 1 2
 * 41) 1 2  Kozinn, New York Times 26 October 2007 Retrieved on 3 March 2009
 * 42) ↑  Maddocks, Fiona: Handel's Dark Comedy of Passion and Intrigue. London Evening Standard, 6 February 2007. Retrieved on 4 October 2015
 * 43) 1 2 3 4  Dean, p. 4 c.2
 * 44) ↑  "Recitative", Encyclopædia Britannica, Vol. 9, p 978: "Accompaniment [to secco recitative], usually by continuo (cello and harpsichord), is simple and chordal."
 * 45) ↑  Dean & Knapp, p. 123
 * 46) ↑  Prout, p. 70
 * 47) ↑  Brown, p. 419
 * 48) ↑  Dean & Knapp, pp. 118–19 and p. 124
 * 49) 1 2  Dean & Knapp, p. 119
 * 50) 1 2 3 4  La Rue, pp. 112–13
 * 51) ↑  Dean & Knapp, pp. 122–25
 * 52) ↑  Sawyer, pp. 532–34
 * 53) ↑  Sawyer, p. 534
 * 54) 1 2 3 4 5 6
 * 55) 1 2 3 4
 * 56) 1 2
 * 57) 1 2 3 4  Dean & Knapp, pp. 135–39
 * 58) 1 2 3  Hicks, Anthony, "Agrippina" in Grove Music Online Retrieved on 8 March 2009
 * 59) ↑  Wolff, Barenreiter edition, Act III.
 * 60) ↑  Wolff, Barenreiter edition, Act II
 * 61) ↑  Hallische Händelausgabe Retrieved on 22 March 2009
 * 1) 1 2 3  Hicks, Anthony, "Agrippina" in Grove Music Online Retrieved on 8 March 2009
 * 2) ↑  Wolff, Barenreiter edition, Act III.
 * 3) ↑  Wolff, Barenreiter edition, Act II
 * 4) ↑  Hallische Händelausgabe Retrieved on 22 March 2009

External links


 * "Agrippina by George Frideric Handel", vaopera.org (2006). Virginia Opera, Richmond, Va. Retrieved on 5 March 2009.
 * Bianconi, Lorenzo; and Giorgio Pastelli (1997), Opera Production and its Resources, tr. Lydia G. Cochrane. Chicago University Press, Chicago. ISBN 0-226-04590-0.
 * Boyden, Matthew; Nick Kimberley; and Joseph Staines (2007), The Rough Guide to Opera. Rough Guides, London. ISBN 1-84353-538-6.
 * Brown, David J (2001), "George Frideric Handel", in The New Penguin Opera Guide, ed. Amanda Holden. Penguin Putnam, New York. ISBN 0-14-051475-9.
 * Dean, Winton (1980). "George Frideric Handel". New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (British special edition), Vol. 8. London: Macmillan. pp. 85–138. ISBN 0-333-23111-2.
 * Dean, Winton (1997), Humour with Human Commitment: Handel's "Agrippina". Essay accompanying Philips recording 438 009-2 by Philips Classical Productions.
 * Dean, Winton (1988), "Scholarship and the Handel Revival", in Handel Tercentenary Collection, ed. Stanley Sadie and Anthony Hicks. Boydell & Brewer, Rochester, NY. ISBN 0-8357-1833-6.
 * Dean, Winton; and J. Merrill Knapp (1995), Handel's Operas, 1704–1726 (Revised edition). Clarendon Press, Oxford. ISBN 0-19-816441-6.
 * "George Frideric Handel: Opera Discography", Gfhandel.org. Retrieved on 14 March 2009.
 * "George Frideric Handel: Agrippina - libretto di Vincenzo Grimani", Haendel.it. Retrieved on 11 March 2009.
 * Grout, Donald J.; and Hermione Weigel (1947), A Short History of Opera Vol. 1. Columbia University Press, New York.
 * Hallische Händelausgabe Handel-Haus Retrieved on 22 March 2009
 * "Handel, George Frideric" in Encyclopædia Britannica, 15th edition (2002). Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., London, Vol. 5, pp. 678–80. ISBN 0-85229-787-4.
 * Handel, George Frideric; and Vincenzo Grimani (1874) "Agrippina: Libretto and Score, Friedrich Chrysander edition". Handel-Gesellschaft, Halle (Germany) Retrieved on 4 March 2009
 * Handel, George Frideric; and Vincenzo Grimani (1985), Agrippina: Miniature Score. Alfred Publishing. ISBN 0-7692-6890-0.
 * Handel, George Frideric; and Vincenzo Grimani (1950), Agrippina Vocal Score. (Hellmuth Christian Wolff ed.) Barenreiter, Wolfenbüttel-Berlin.
 * Hicks, Anthony, "Agrippina" in Grove Music Online. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Retrieved on 3 March 2009. (subscription access)
 * Hicks, Anthony (August 1982). "Handel on the London Stage". The Musical Times 123 (1674): p. 530.
 * Hogwood, Christopher (1988), Handel. Thames and Hudson, London. ISBN 0-500-27498-3.
 * Lang, Paul Henry (1994), George Frideric Handel. Dover Publications, New York. ISBN 0-486-29227-4.
 * LaRue, C. Steven (1997), "Handel and the Aria" in The Cambridge Companion to Handel, ed. Donald Burrows. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. ISBN 0-521-45613-4.
 * Kozinn, Allan (16 October 2007), "Pushy Mother Plots to Win Her Son the Top Spot" in The New York Times. Retrieved on 3 March 2009.
 * Maddocks, Fiona (6 February 2007), "Handel's dark comedy of passion and intrigue" in the London Evening Standard. Retrieved on 3 March 2009.
 * Menahan, Donald (12 February 1985). "The Opera: Agrippina presented at Tully Hall" in The New York Times. Retrieved on 5 March 2009.
 * Neef, Sigrid (ed.) (2000), Opera: Composers, Works, Performers (English edition). Könemann, Cologne. ISBN 3-8290-3571-3.
 * Picard, Anna (11 February 2007), Agrippina, "The Coliseum, London" in The Independent. Retrieved on 5 March 2009.
 * Prout, Ebenezer (February 1884), "Handel's Orchestration (Continued)", in The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular 25 (492): 69–70.
 * "Recitative", in Encyclopædia Britannica 15th edition (2002). Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., London. Vol. 9, pp. 977–78. ISBN 0-85229-787-4.
 * Sawyer, John E (November 1999). "Irony and Borrowing in Handel's 'Agrippina'". Music and Letters 80 (4): 531–559. (subscription access)
 * Warrack, John; and Ewan West (1992), The Oxford Dictionary of Opera. Oxford University Press, Oxford. ISBN 978-0-19-869164-8.
 * Warrack, John; and Ewan West (1992), The Oxford Dictionary of Opera. Oxford University Press, Oxford. ISBN 978-0-19-869164-8.


 * Operas by George Frideric Handel

Premiere
 * 1709 operas
 * Depictions of Nero in opera
 * Italian-language operas
 * Opera seria
 * Operas


 * Friedrich Chrysander's edition (Leipzig 1874), based on Samuel Arnold's c. 1795 edition and the printed libretto as well as Handel's autograph, is available from Kalmus Reprints, as well as the following online collections, all with different navigators:
 * Agrippina score, Indiana University School of Music collection
 * Agrippina score, Bavarian State Library collection
 * Agrippina: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
 * Aria Database gives description of 15 arias from the opera
 * List of upcoming performances of Agrippina from Operabase.