Georg Frideric Handel - Agrippina - "La mia sorte", "Il tuo figlio", "Sperero, poi che mel"

This upload houses three pieces, two from the first Act, one from the second; two are arias for two secondary characters, former slaves of Agrippina, Pallante and Narciso; and a quartettino with a long preceding recitative. The following singers interpret the pieces:

Conductor - John Eliot Gardiner,
Orchestra - English Baroque Soloists,
Agrippina - Della Jones,
Nerone - Derek Lee Ragin,
Pallante - George Mosley,
Narciso - Jonathan Peter Kenny.

No. 2. Aria di Pallante, "La mia sorte fortunata". Agrippina, wife of Claudius, has received news that her husband has died at sea. Immediately her mind turns to the problem of securing the throne for Nero, her son by a previous marriage. Pallas and Narcissus, neither of whom knows that the other loves Agrippina, though she is aware of their affections, are summoned one after the other to the Empress' chambers. She promises each her love if Nero becomes Emperor and orders them to leave for the Capitol to acclaim her son as the new ruler. The first except is Pallas's passionate answer to Agrippina's promises. One quickly can note that Handel clearly differentiated both characters, making two potentially background characters into living individuals, thus, while Narcissus's music paints a slightly immature, sentimental young man, Pallas' is much more extroverted which is particularly clear in the present aria decorated with short, excited embellishments and set to a breakneck tempo; one can almost imagine Pallas running between the door, trying to fulfill his task, and Agrippina who he showers with further signs of his affection.

No. 3. Recitative "Voi, che dell'alta Roma" & Quartettino "Il tuo figlio". We skip a few pieces to the fulfillment of Agrippina's already stated plan. Agrippina summons the Senate to inform them of Claudius's death in a slightly too dramatic recitative (possibly highlighting her false emotions) and asks them to choose a new Emperor. Pallas and Narcissus immediately cry out Nero's name which instigates the little quartettino of extreme vivacity, juxtaposing the cries of "Viva!" of Agrippina and her suitors with Nero's flighty lines. Agrippina and Nero ascend the throne, but, after a flourish of trumpets, Claudius's servant Lesbus arrives to announce that his master is not dead after all but was saved from death at sea by Otho, the commander of the army. Otho then himself arrives to declare that, out of gratitude, Claudius has promised him the throne.

No. 4. Aria di Narciso, "Sperero, poi che mel dice". We will return to Act One soon, but first let's pass onto to Narcissus' second aria. Pallas and Narcissus have discovered that Agrippina has tricked them both, and decide to band together to escape the treacheries in which they are embroiled; when Agrippina orders Pallas to kill Narcissus and Otho, and Narcissus to kill Pallas and Otho, they both answer her with false love arias, a clear contrast of their original arias. Narcissus' music is much more gentle than his friend's furious outpourings, though the present aria has a stunning hint of irony, as Narcissus forces himself to spread loving lines in the direction of the Empress.

Hope you'll enjoy :)!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Handel
• Agrippina
• classical
• baroque
• coloratura
• da
• capo

[LindoroRossini]

"A reading from Homer" by Alma-Tadema :). I've used his paintings for all the present uploads from "Agrippina" and for my last upload from Meyerbeer's "Il crociato" (and will use for my other selections) :).

[silpaton]

I like opera and Haendel.

[pedrovski10]

Thanks for this! It's great I'm just getting interested in handel a bit more now after reading beethoven's comments on him.

[bubblykings]

I love this opera. Thanks for uploading! :D

[Taskat]

What is the painting here?