Explore this Show

Overview

Synopsis

Agrippina will do anything she can to see her son Nerone as the Emperor of Rome. When she hears that her husband, the Emperor Claudio, has died at sea she wastes no time in mourning, and with Claudio having no blood-heir, publicly announces Nerone’s succession. Her haste causes great embarrassment when Claudio returns, alive and well and proclaiming his rescuer, Ottone, as his successor. More determined than ever, Agrippina will use any means necessary to take down Ottone, and plays on men’s weakness for a beautiful woman. She comes up with a plan to use their affections for Poppea, a beautiful courtesan, to set Claudio and Ottone against each other.

But, Agrippina’s ambition is truly blinding. She has no idea that Poppea’s morality, and love for Ottone, will ultimately ruin her plans to have Ottone killed. She also could not imagine her former slaves betraying her to the Emperor himself. Agrippina manages to avoid Claudio’s wrath by persuading him that she was only acting in his favor, and, being the fair and trusting leader that he is, Claudio makes everyone happy by declaring Nerone as the successor, and giving up Poppea to Ottone.

Telling the story of the Emperor Nero’s rise to power, it is no surprise that Handel’s Agrippina is a story of ambition, betrayal, lust, power, conspiracy, deceit, and revenge; foreshadowing the events of Nero’s reign. This opera is rapidly becoming one of Handel’s best loved works, with its expertly crafted score rivalling his own Giulio Cesare. The 2019 Barrie Kosky production at The Royal Opera, Covent Garden, championed by and starring Joyce Didonato, is still winning audiences with its tagline: ‘absolute power corrupts absolutely’.

Show Information

Libretto
Vincenzo Grimani
Category
Opera
Age Guidance
Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
Number of Acts
3
First Produced
1710
Genres
Drama, Historical/Biographical
Settings
Multiple Settings, Period
Time & Place
Rome, 1st century A.D.
Cast Size
medium
Orchestra Size
Small
Dancing
None
Licensor
None/royalty-free
Ideal For
Star Vehicle Female, Professional Opera, College/University, Mostly Female Cast, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Mature Adult, Young Adult Characters, Medium Cast

Context


Plot


Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Agrippina

Lead

Female

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano

Nerone

Lead

Either Gender

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Countertenor

Ottone

Lead

Either Gender

Contralto, Countertenor

Poppea

Lead

Female

Soprano

Claudio

Lead

Male

Bass

Pallante

Supporting

Male

Bass

Narciso

Supporting

Male

Countertenor, Mezzo-Soprano, Contralto

Lesbo

Featured

Male

Bass

Giunone

Featured

Female

Contralto

Songs

Sinfonia Act One

Scene One

  • Recitative ‘Nerone, amato figlio’ - Agrippina, Nerone

  • Aria ‘Col saggio tuo consiglio’ - Nerone

Scene Two

  • Recitative ‘Per cosi grand’impresa’ - Agrippina

Scene Three

  • Recitative ‘A’ cenni tuoi sovrani’ - Pallante, Agrippina

  • Aria ‘La mia sorte fortunata’ - Pallante

Scene Four

  • Recitative ‘Or che Pallante e vinto’ - Agrippina

Scene Five

  • Recitative ‘Umile alle tue piante…’ - Narciso, Agrippina

  • Aria ‘Volo pronto e lieto il core’ - Narciso

Scene Six

  • Recitative ‘Quanto fa’ - Agrippina

  • Aria ‘L’alma mia fra le tempeste’ - Agrippina

Scene Seven

  • Recitativo Accompagnato ‘Qual piacer a un cor pietoso’ - Nerone

Scene Eight

  • Recitative ‘Ecco chi presto’ - Pallante, Narciso, Nerone

Scene Nine

  • Recitative ‘Voi, che dell’alta Roma’ - Agrippina

  • Quartet ‘Il tuo figlio / La tua prole’ - Agrippina, Nerone, Narciso, Pallante

  • Recitative ‘Ma qual di liete trombe’ - Agrippina

Scene Ten

  • Arioso ‘Allegrezza, allegrezza!’ - Lesbo

  • Recitative ‘Che sento!’ - Lesbo, Pallante, Agrippina, Narciso, Nerone

Scene Eleven

  • Recitative ‘Alle tue piante, o Augusta’ - Ottone, Pallante, Agrippina, Narciso, Nerone

Scene Twelve

  • Recitative ‘Augusta, amo Poppea’ - Ottone, Agrippina

  • Aria ‘Tu ben degno’ - Agrippina

Scene Thirteen

  • Recitative ‘L’ultima del gioir’ - Ottone

  • Aria ‘Lusinghiera mia speranza’ - Ottone

Scene Fourteen

  • Aria ‘Vaghe perle’ - Poppea

  • Recitative ‘Otton, Claudio, Nerone’ - Poppea

Scene Fifteen

  • Recitative ‘Signora, a mia signora!’ - Lesbo, Poppea

Scene Sixteen

  • Recitative ‘Di lieta nuova’ - Lesbo, Agrippina, Poppea

Scene Seventeen

  • Recitative ‘Perche invece di Claudio’ - Poppea

  • Aria ‘E un foco quel d’amore’ - Poppea

Scene Eighteen

  • Recitative ‘Ma qui Agrippina viene’ - Agrippina, Poppea

  • Aria ‘Ho un non so che nel cor’ - Agrippina

Scene Nineteen

  • Recitative ‘Cieli, quai strani casi’ - Poppea

Scene Twenty

  • Recitative ‘Non veggo alcun’ - Lesbo

Scene Twenty-One

  • Aria ‘Pur ritorno a rimirarvi’ - Claudio

  • Recitative ‘Ma, o ciel, mesta e confusa’ - Claudio, Poppea

  • Aria ‘Vieni, o cara’ - Claudio

  • Recitative ‘Che mai faro?’ - Poppea, Claudio

Scene Twenty-Two

  • Recitative ‘Signor, Signor, presto’ - Lesbo, Claudio, Poppea

  • Trio ‘E quando mai / Quando vorrai’ - Poppea, Claudio, Lesbo

  • Recitative ‘Pur al fin se n’ando’ - Poppea

Scene Twenty-Three

  • Recitative ‘O mia liberatrice’ - Poppea, Agrippina

  • Aria ‘Non ho cor che per amarti’ - Agrippina

Scene Twenty-Four

  • Recitative ‘Se Ottone m’inganno’ - Poppea

  • Aria ‘Se giunge un dispetto’ - Poppea

Act Two

Scene One

  • Recitative ‘Dunque noi siam traditi’ - Pallante, Narciso

Scene Two

  • Aria ‘Coronato il crin d’alloro’ - Ottone

  • Recitative ‘Roma, pue ch’il trionfo’ - Pallante, Narciso, Ottone

Scene Three

  • Prelude

  • Recitative ‘Ecco il superbo’ - Agrippina, Poppea, Nerone, Ottone, Narciso

  • Chorus ‘Di timpani e trombe’ - Poppea, Nerone, Agrippina, Ottone, Narciso, Pallante, Lesbo

Scene Four

  • Recitative ‘Nella Britannia vinta’ - Claudio

  • Aria ‘Cade il mondo’ - Claudio

  • Recitative ‘Signore, quanto il mio cuore’ - Agrippina, Claudio, Poppea, Nerone, Narciso, Pallante, Ottone

  • Arioso ‘Nulla sperar da me’ - Agrippina

  • Recitative ‘E tu Poppea’ - Ottone

  • Aria ‘Tuo ben e il trono’ - Poppea

  • Ritornello

  • Recitative ‘Soccorri almen Nerone’ - Ottone

  • Aria ‘Sotto il lauro’ - Nerone

  • Recitative ‘Scherzo son’ - Ottone, Narciso, Pallante, Lesbo

Scene Five

Scene Six

  • Aria ‘Spera, alma mia’ - Poppea

  • Recitative ‘Il tormento d’Ottone’ - Poppea

Scene Seven

  • Recitative ‘Par che amor sia’ - Poppea

  • Aria ‘Vaghe fonti’ - Ottone

  • Recitative ‘Ma qui che veggo’ - Ottone, Poppea

  • Aria ‘Ti vuo giusta’ - Ottone

Scene Eight

  • Recitative ‘Da quali ordite trame’ - Poppea

  • Aria ‘Ingannata una sol volta’ - Poppea

Scene Nine

  • Recitative ‘Pur alfin ti ritrovo’ - Lesbo, Poppea

Scene Ten

  • Recitative ‘A non pochi perigli’ - Poppea

Scene Eleven

  • Recitative ‘Son qui, mia vita’ - Nerone, Poppea

  • Aria ‘Col peso del tuo amor’ - Poppea

Scene Twelve

  • Recitative ‘Qual bramato piacere’ - Nerone

  • Aria ‘Quando invita’ - Nerone

Scene Thirteen

Scene Fourteen

  • Recitative ‘Se ben nemica sorte’ - Pallante, Agrippina

  • Aria ‘Col raggio placido’ - Pallante

Scene Fifteen

  • Recitative ‘Di giunger non dispero’ - Agrippina

Scene Sixteen

  • Recitative ‘Or e tempo’ - Agrippina, Narciso

  • Aria ‘Sperero, poiche mel dice’ - Narciso

Scene Seventeen

  • Recitative ‘Per dar la pace al core’ - Agrippina

Scene Eighteen and Nineteen

  • Recitative ‘A vagheggiar io vengo’ - Claudio, Agrippina

Scene Twenty

  • Recitative ‘Signor, Poppea’ - Lesbo, Claudio, Agrippina

  • Aria ‘Basta che sol tu chieda’ - Claudio

Scene Twenty-One

  • Recitative ‘Favorevol la sorte’ - Agrippina

  • Aria ‘Ogni vento’ - Agrippina

Act Three

Scene One

  • Recitative ‘Il caro Otton’ - Poppea

Scene Two

  • Recitative ‘Ah, mia Poppea’ - Ottone, Poppea

  • Aria ‘Tacero’ - Ottone

Scene Three

  • Recitative ‘Attendo qui Nerone’ - Poppea

Scene Four

  • Recitative ‘Anelante ti reco’ - Nerone, Poppea, Ottone

  • Aria ‘Coll’ardor del tuo bel core’ - Nerone

Scene Five

  • Recitative ‘Amico ciel’ - Poppea

Scene Six

  • Recitative ‘Qui non v’e alcun’ - Lesbo, Claudio, Poppea, Nerone, Ottone

Scene Seven

  • Recitative ‘Temerario insolente’ - Claudio, Poppea, Nerone, Ottone

Scene Eight

  • Recitative ‘Ora, Claudio, che dici?’ - Poppea, Claudio

  • Aria ‘Io di Roma’ - Claudio

Scene Nine

  • Recitative ‘Pur alfin se n’ando’ - Poppea

Scene Ten

  • Recitative ‘Ora Ottone, che dici?’ - Poppea, Ottone

  • Aria ‘Pur ch’io ti stringa al sen’ - Ottone

  • Recitative ‘Piega pur del mio cor’ - Poppea

  • Aria ‘Bel piacere’ - Poppea

Scene Eleven

  • Recitative ‘Contanto oso Poppea?’ - Agrippina, Nerone

  • Aria ‘Come nube’ - Nerone

Scene Twelve

  • Recitative ‘Evvi donna piu empia?’ - Pallante, Narciso

Scene Thirteen

  • Recitative ‘Agrippina, Nerone’ - Claudio Pallante, Narciso

Scene Fourteen

  • Recitative ‘Adorato mio sposo’ - Agrippina, Claudio, Pallante, Narciso

  • Aria ‘Se vuoi pace’ - Agrippina

Scene Fifteen

  • Recitative ‘Ecco la mia rivale’ - Agrippina, Poppea, Nerone, Ottone, Claudio

  • Chorus ‘Lieto il Tebro’ - Agrippina, Poppea, Claudio, Nerone, Ottone, Pallante, Narciso, Lesbo, Giunone

Final Scene

  • Recitative ‘D’Ottone e di Poppea’ - Giunone

  • Aria ‘V’accendano le tede’ - Giunone

Ballet

  • Gigue

  • Sarabande

  • Bouree

  • Menuet

  • Passacaille

A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

All monologues are the property and copyright of their owners.. Monologues are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this monologue, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Key Terms

Sorry! We do not currently have terms for this guide.

Videos

Quizzes

Themes, Symbols & Motifs

Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.

Quote Analysis

Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.

Guide Written By:

Wendy Silvester

Wendy Silvester

Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.