Agrippina (HWV 6) is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel with 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 Grimani's political and diplomatic rivalry with Pope Clement XI.
| Librettist | Vincenzo Grimani |
| Date of composition | 1710 (1709-1710) |
| Premiered | 1709, December 26th (Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo) in Venice, Metropolitan City of Venice, Italy |
| Type | Opera |
| Catalogue | HWV 6 |
| Approx. duration | 203 minutes |
| Spoken language | Italian |
| Instruments |
Orchestra
Voice (Soprano) - Agrippina Voice (Castrato) - Nero (Italian: Nerone) Voice (Bass) - Pallas (Pallante) Voice (Castrato) - Narcissus (Narciso) Voice (Bass) - Lesbus (Lesbo) Voice (Contralto) - Otho (Ottone) Voice (Soprano) - Poppaea (Poppea) Voice (Bass) - Claudius (Claudio) Voice (Contralto) - Juno (Giunone) |
| Links | |
| Autotranslations beta |
Georg Friedrich Haendel: Agrippina, HWV 6 Georg Friedrich Händel: Agrippina, HWV 6 Georg Friedrich Händel: Agrippina, HWV 6 |