Agrippina

Agrippina Georg Friedrich Haendel One of Handel's finest libretti, for a sublime duet of women caught between passion and power.

Cast Magdalena Kožena | Agrippina Julia Lezhneva | Poppea Christophe Dumaux | Ottone Adèle Charvet | Nerone Nicolas Brooymans | Claudio Adrien Fournaison | Pallante Paul Figuier | Narciso Les Accents Thibault Noally | violin and direction In a few words Agrippina marks one of the high points of Handel's Italian period, when he was just twenty-five years old.

Shortly afterwards he triumphed in London with Rinaldo, which encouraged him to settle there for many long years and to compose his greatest works.

But from this very Agrippina onwards, the incredible variety of the arias and the particular inflections he gives each character are striking.

Handel also makes generous room for humour, where the principal male figures, Ottone, Nerone and Claudio, are ultimately nothing more than puppets in the formidable hands of Agrippina and Poppea.

Vaudeville before its time, and three hours of pure delight, both orchestral and vocal. Production Théâtre des Champs-Élysées