Agrippina at Theater an der Wien

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2. Agrippina

With Agrippina the young Handel 1707/08 was his big chance to distinguish itself in Italy as an opera composer. The order came from the renowned Teatro San Giovanni Crisostomo in Venice, which was funded by the influential family Grimani, possibly Cardinal Vincenzo Grimani, the author of the libretto. The Venetians were very demanding in musical matters, but Handel succeeded to manufacture based on the witty libretto about lust for power and sexual desires in ancient Rome a spirited, thrilling entertaining opera: With rich instrumentation and diverse musical forms like dance movements, ensembles alongside Da capo arias, Cavatinas, Ariosi and accompagnato recitatives, with folksong-like melodies in addition to a sophisticated Bel Canto showed Handel's compositional virtuosity. The success was overwhelming. John Main Warning, Handel's first biographer, reported that the audience "touched by the greatness and majesty of his style as if thunderstruck [was], because they had heard never before connected all the forces of harmony and melody in their arrangement so close and so powerful with each other ". Handel was celebrated with the cry of "Viva il caro Sassone!" - "Long live the dear Saxon" It began his international career.

Rome, 54 n. Chr .. Agrippina is married to the Roman Emperor Claudio, who is currently on a campaign. When the rumor comes up, he was killed in battle, she tried to make her son Nero, who comes from a previous union with another man, the Emperor. But it turns out that Claudio is not dead, but has been saved by Ottone, one of his generals. Claudio has appointed gratitude Ottone his heir. There are now so two heirs. The matter is even more explosive because Claudio, Nero and Ottone are in love with the same woman: In Poppea. Who gets the woman and the throne? Agippina intrigued while sometimes more, sometimes less successful. At the end of Ottone for now Poppea, and Nero has the claim on the throne. From history and from Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea but you know,
that this will not long remain so.