I've seen this opera 3 times, I just went back to it twice because it was so good.
Rene Jacobs is outstanding, as were the singers. The director made some bold choices, but was able to hold the attention of the audience during the whole show (more than 3hours if I'm not mistaken). Sometimes moving, sometimes funny, but in the whole a very balanced, entertaining and moving opera. Great work according to me!
Another great opera killed by a pretentious cretin director. He should direct puppet theaters at the carnival for kids, he might get a laugh there with crap like that.
I've seen many other pieces of this production here on YouTube. It's very well done and much rehearsed. I would love to see such productions here in Italy, where most opera stagings are just concerts with costumes.
BUT I was criticising the general "look" of the production. Why today so many Handel productions I see are set in the 1920s, 30s or 40s??? And even if they are not, they share the same aesthetics: soldiers, marines, party dresses, etc... and, most of all, a general comic feeling, that makes fun of Handel music and librettos. It has not much sense, it is not funny and it has become so cliché.
But I can agree with you, this production is very well sung, played and acted.
@NedRorem But in Handel's own time all of the operas were costumed in the C18th, regardless of the original period - with just a few details (a crown - for a king; a mitre for a bishop etc). So this argument doesn't hold water.
Why every Handel staging is the perfect copy of all the others, today? Stage directors are mostly ignorants who don't understand music (and often they cannot even read it!) and they don't even have a bit of fantasy. They only copy one another.
Well, don't criticise something if you haven't seen it! I saw this production in Paris and it is probabbly the best Handel opera staging i have ever seen, it made complete sense musically and dramatically!
@MoscowMaestro Poor silly Handel! (By the way, Agrippina is probably the best opera libretto he ever set to music) I'm not criticising the choice of not setting the opera in the ancient Rome or with 18th century costumes. Nor am I saying that this is a bad production. But I wonder why almost all the modern Handel productions copy one another in poking fun at every character and why all are set in the first half of 20th century.
I've seen this opera 3 times, I just went back to it twice because it was so good.
Rene Jacobs is outstanding, as were the singers. The director made some bold choices, but was able to hold the attention of the audience during the whole show (more than 3hours if I'm not mistaken). Sometimes moving, sometimes funny, but in the whole a very balanced, entertaining and moving opera. Great work according to me!
drezjel 6 months ago
Another great opera killed by a pretentious cretin director. He should direct puppet theaters at the carnival for kids, he might get a laugh there with crap like that.
Ratzfourtyfour 9 months ago
Ahaha Ottone sembra il capitano di una nave da crociera gay!
wellbn1 1 year ago 5
@wellbn1 AHAHAHAHAHA
jovi1715 1 year ago
Coronato il crin dalloro,
Io saro nel Campidoglio,
Ma piu bramo Il bel chadoro
Che non Fo corona e soglio
Excellent performance and stage settings. Bravo
Angelos1975GR 2 years ago 3
I've seen many other pieces of this production here on YouTube. It's very well done and much rehearsed. I would love to see such productions here in Italy, where most opera stagings are just concerts with costumes.
BUT
NedRorem 3 years ago
BUT I was criticising the general "look" of the production. Why today so many Handel productions I see are set in the 1920s, 30s or 40s??? And even if they are not, they share the same aesthetics: soldiers, marines, party dresses, etc... and, most of all, a general comic feeling, that makes fun of Handel music and librettos. It has not much sense, it is not funny and it has become so cliché.
But I can agree with you, this production is very well sung, played and acted.
NedRorem 3 years ago
@NedRorem But in Handel's own time all of the operas were costumed in the C18th, regardless of the original period - with just a few details (a crown - for a king; a mitre for a bishop etc). So this argument doesn't hold water.
MoscowMaestro 9 months ago
Why every Handel staging is the perfect copy of all the others, today? Stage directors are mostly ignorants who don't understand music (and often they cannot even read it!) and they don't even have a bit of fantasy. They only copy one another.
NedRorem 3 years ago
Well, don't criticise something if you haven't seen it! I saw this production in Paris and it is probabbly the best Handel opera staging i have ever seen, it made complete sense musically and dramatically!
fink78 3 years ago
@NedRorem Maybe COMPOSERS are mostly IGNORANTS for writing such silly garbage!!!
MoscowMaestro 9 months ago
@MoscowMaestro Poor silly Handel! (By the way, Agrippina is probably the best opera libretto he ever set to music) I'm not criticising the choice of not setting the opera in the ancient Rome or with 18th century costumes. Nor am I saying that this is a bad production. But I wonder why almost all the modern Handel productions copy one another in poking fun at every character and why all are set in the first half of 20th century.
NedRorem 9 months ago