Oh I never imagined I would absolutely enjoy an opera that was more than 300 years old. Contemporary classical music tends to be the type of music that I enjoy the most, so a Baroque opera would be very far from my familiar territory. Nevertheless, I wanted to broaden my horizons and so I went all the way to Halle an der Saale for one evening to attend a very contemporary performance of Händel's Agrippina, an opera from 1709.
Unlike the grand heroics of later Handel operas, Agrippina plays like a cynical, fast-paced political thriller. The setting is Imperial Rome, circa 50 AD. However, in the performance I attended, the setting was moved to a more contemporary setting, Las Vegas. Instead of the empire of Caesar, it is a casino empire, the Caesar's Palace Entertainment. It was very flashy, and I have to say, I liked it! There is of course Agrippina, the ultimate "helicopter parent" and political strategist. She is married to Claudio, the Emperor, who is pompous and easily manipulated. Agrippina has a hedonistic teenage son, Nerone. There's also Poppea, a glamorous, savvy noblewoman who uses her wit to survive. And finally, there is Ottone, who happens to be the only morally upright character, and a war hero. Key themes are the corruption of power, sexual manipulation as political currency, and the "banality of evil."
Agrippina actually plays like a cynical, fast-paced political thriller. Upon hearing a false report that Emperor Claudio has drowned at sea, Agrippina immediately schemes to place her son Nerone on the throne. She manipulates two freedmen (Pallante and Narciso) to support her. The plan is derailed when the servant Lesbo announces Claudio is alive, saved by the general Ottone. Claudio has promised the throne to Ottone in gratitude. However, Ottone admits to Agrippina that he values Poppea’s love more than the empire. Agrippina exploits this, telling Poppea that Ottone has "traded" her to Claudio in exchange for the throne. Poppea, enraged, decides to ruin Ottone. Ottone arrives for his coronation but is publicly denounced as a traitor by Claudio (following Poppea’s manipulated testimony). In a rare moment of genuine pathos in a cynical opera, Ottone laments his betrayal. Poppea eventually realizes she has been a pawn in Agrippina’s game and begins to doubt Ottone’s guilt. Meanwhile, Agrippina, sensing her influence waning, convinces Claudio that Ottone is still a threat and that he should abdicate in favor of Nerone to ensure stability. Poppea hides three different men (Ottone, Nerone, and finally Claudio) in her bedroom to expose the truth. She hides Ottone behind a curtain and convinces Nerone to hide when Claudio arrives. She then reveals to Claudio that it was Nerone, not Ottone, who was pestering her. In the final chaotic resolution, Agrippina manages to talk her way out of trouble. Claudio, exhausted by the intrigue, grants Nerone the throne and allows Ottone to marry Poppea. It is a "happy ending" built on a foundation of lies and exhaustion.
Musically, I enjoyed it. It's definitely not contemporary, but I am more and more realising that while the music might not be "scientific", it absolutely is beautiful. I personally thought that Ottone's aria in Act III Tacerò pur che fedele was the epitome of sublime musical beauty. Also thematically, I previously enjoyed the "cruelty of power" themes in George Benjamin’s Written on Skin and the political tension in John Adams’ Nixon in China. Agrippina is essentially the 18th-century ancestor of these works. And of course, the modern resetting of the piece to Las Vegas was a very funny additional aspect.
Overall, I had fun watching this. Again, this is not my typical territory, but it definitely pays off to venture out every now and then.
