{"id":27205,"date":"2023-04-27T21:55:01","date_gmt":"2023-04-27T13:55:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stuif.com\/blog\/?p=27205"},"modified":"2023-05-04T22:16:28","modified_gmt":"2023-05-04T14:16:28","slug":"agrippina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stuif.com\/blog\/?p=27205","title":{"rendered":"Agrippina"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In May 2020 I wrote a post An opera and some history<\/a>, about the opera L\u2019Ottavia restituita al Trono<\/em> by Domenico Scarlatti. When I was looking for information about this opera, I came across the opera Agrippina<\/em> by Handel. Handel was born in1685, in the same year as Scarlatti, and he composed this opera in 1709 while he was staying in Italy. It was a huge success, got into oblivion later, but is now considered one of Handel’s major operas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agrippina<\/a> (AD 15 \u2013 59) was the wife of Roman emperor Claudius<\/a> (10 BC \u2013AD 54) and mother (from an earlier marriage) of emperor Nero<\/a> (AD 37 \u2013  68). Claudius died by poisoning, with probably his wife Agrippina as the instigator. Nero became the next emperor AD 54, 17 year old. At that time he was married to Octavia<\/a> (AD 39 or 40 \u2013 62), but the marriage was an unhappy one and soon he got mistresses. One of them was Poppaea<\/a> (AD 30 \u2013 65), married to his friend Otho<\/a> (AD 32 \u2013 69) who would become emperor after Nero’s suicide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Agrippina<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Claudius<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Nero<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Octavia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Poppaea<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Otho<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Probably everybody knows about the reputation of Nero. He killed his mother Agrippina AD 59 (22 yo) and a few years later he divorced Octavia and got her killed AD 62 (25 yo). He forced Otho to divorce Poppaea and exiled him to Lusitania (present day ~ Portugal). He married Poppaea AD 62. When se was pregnant AD 65, he caused her death. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a tumultuous period in the Roman Empire. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Italian composer Monteverdi created in 1643 the opera L’incoronazione di Poppea<\/em> (The coronation of Poppaea). Nero, Poppaea, Octavia and Otho are the main characters in his opera. The libretto uses the historical facts reasonably well, although with some artistic freedom. Otho loves Poppaea, but she prefers Nero and Nero prefers her above his wife Octavia. The opera ends with Otho and Octavia being exiled and Nero marrying Poppaea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scarlatti twists the historical facts. In his opera. Octavia has been exiled, but comes back to Rome, disguised as a shepherdess, to take revenge on Poppaea. Because the Roman people support her (historically true), Nero finally accepts Octavia back, although he still loves Poppaea. Otho doesn’t appear in this opera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Agrippina the main characters are Agrippina, Nero, Claudius, Otho and Poppaea. In the libretto of this opera the historical facts are distorted beyond recognition and I find it surprising that in the reviews of this opera hardly any attention is paid to the discrepancies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The opera starts with Agrippina receiving the news that Claudius has drowned in a storm while at sea. Immediately she starts plotting to have her son Nero as the next emperor. She tells him: . “del quinto lustro oggi al confin sei giunto<\/em>” which literally translates as “you have reached the border of your fifth lustrum today<\/em>“. It took me some time to decipher this, the start of your fifth lustrum is when you turn 20. As Nero was born on 15 December AD 37, this gives an exact date of this conversation between Agrippina and Nero, 15 December AD 57<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why do I pay so much attention to dates? Well, Claudius died AD 54 (possibly poisoned by Agrippina) and Nero was already Roman emperor from that time on. His friend (!) Otho was actually married to Poppaea at that time, she divorced him AD 58 only. Nero himself is still married to Octavia and divorced her AD 59. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the story of the opera is completely fake. Keep that in mind when you read the following synopsis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After receiving the news about the death of Claudius, Agrippina starts her scheming by asking Pallas<\/a> and Narcissus<\/a> to support Nero. In the opera they are both in love with Agrippina and provide the comic relief in the story. Historically, they were important figures in Claudius’ court. Pallas and Agrippina may have been lovers, but Narcissus was very loyal to Claudius and was murdered in AD 54, at about the same time as Claudius. Another fake element in the opera.

When Nero is about to be crowned emperor, Lesbus, a servant of Claudius enters and announces that Claudius did not drown, but was rescued by Otho, the commander of the army. Big commotion. Otho enters and tells that Claudius in gratitude will resign and make him the new emperor Privately he tells Agrippina that his love for Poppaea is more important for him than becoming emperor.

This gives Agrippina the opportunity for another plot. She knows that both Claudius and Nero are in love with Poppaea and tells Poppaea that Otho has promised Claudius that he will leave Poppaea to him, if he can become emperor. .Of course Poppaea is upset. Agrippina advises her to tell Claudius that Otho has forbidder her to see him, hoping to make the emperor so angry that he will take back his promise to Otho

When Poppaea meets Claudius she does as suggested by Agrippina. Claudius is furious and when he meets the others, he is full of praise, but calls Otho suddenly a traitor. Agrippina, Poppaea, everybody deserts Otho after this. Left alone he sings a lament, one of the most beautiful arias composed by Handel. Listen to Voi che udite il mio lamento<\/a>, sung by countertenor Jakub J\u00f3zef Orli\u0144ski<\/em>.

Poppaea, can not really believe that Otho has forsaken her for the throne and meets him in a garden. Soon it becomes clear that Agrippina has been plotting and Poppaea wants to take revenge. She asks Otho to come to her rooms later, Lesbus enters to tell her that Claudius wants to visit her in her rooms, next Nero meets her, she also invites him to her rooms.

Follows a hilarious scene in Poppaea’s rooms. First Otto arrives, she asks him to hide. Next comes Nero, also asked to hide, When finally Claudius has arrived, she tells him that it was actually Nero and not Otho who told her she should not meet Claudius. He can not believe her, but is convinced when she calls Nero out of his hiding.

Claudius is now confused who is lying and who is speaking the truth. He asks everybody to tell their story.. When Poppaea tells that Nero was in her rooms, he takes a decision, Nero will marry Poppaea and he will keep his promise that Otho will become emperor! Everybody unhappy \ud83d\ude09 When Otho refuses the crown, he reverses his decision: Otho can marry Poppaea and Nero will become emperor. Everybody happy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All is well that ends well<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In this synopsis I have omitted many details of the various subplots. As this review<\/a> says: The plot of Agrippina is convoluted, even by operatic standards<\/em>. I found it very informative to read the libretto<\/a> (English translation). Before I mention the various YouTube recordings of Agrippina, a few comments about the libretto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n