Intrigue and shine: Handel's Agrippina in Las Vegas-Kasino!

Intrigue and shine: Handel's Agrippina in Las Vegas-Kasino!

The enthusiasm for the opera "Agrippina" by Georg Friedrich Handel, which was premiered in Venice in 1709, is currently experiencing a hype at the Handel Festival in Halle. This opera is one of the greatest successes from Handel's Italy years and not only offers an entertaining evening, but also an exciting, albeit intrigant, story about power games and manipulation.

The plot revolves around Agrippina, a ruler in a Roman setting that dares everything to put her son Nero on the throne. To achieve this, she intrigues against Emperor Claudio and fights for supremacy while she covers her environment with lies and illusions. These characters and their dramatic interplay are still fascinating and are enthusiastic about the audience in numerous performances, as [Concerti] (https://www.concerti.de/opern-kiritiken/haendel-festspiele-halle-halle- 6-6-2025/)

Wagnerisches Las Vegas

An exciting element of the current staging in Handel Festival represents the transfer to a Las Vegas ambience. This bold decision, carried out by director Walter Sutcliffe, ensures mixed reactions. Critics describe this choice as tasteless and refer to the lascivious and comedic elements of the show. The stage design, designed by Alexandar Denić, reflects the casino ambience and thus strengthens the controversial staging.

Romelia Lichtenstein shines in the title role as Agrippina, and is praised for her impressive stage presence. Nevertheless, the ensemble, which is led by Laurence Cummings at the Handel Festival Orchestra, is not considered to be particularly determined, with a selection of mixed services from the singers. In the end, the staging is considered more as a retro and less ambitious, as the reviews interpret.

a masterpiece in the change of time

Agrippina is not only one of the first masterpieces of Handel, but is also seen as one of the composer's best libretti. Political allusions and a joke that skillfully makes the characters appear in a different light make the work an "anti-heroic satirical comedy". At a time when power and intrigue are the leading roles, trade shows a pronounced sense of the topic.

The combination of emotional arias and secco recitative reflects that Handel also knew how to use rich musical contrasts in his earlier compositions, which are strongly shaped by the German tradition. Since its premiere in Italian theaters, such as the Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo, the opera has experienced numerous revitalations and thus remains a constantly relevant work that remains appealing in both Europe and in the United States, according to the historians.

Another interesting detail is the historical basis on which the story is based. Many characters come from Roman historiography, such as Tacitus' Annals and Sueton's writings about the life of the Caesar. This link between fiction and history shows that Handel's work not only maintains, but also stimulates thought.

In the ongoing festival, the stage in Halle offers the perfect opportunity to go on the footsteps of this fascinating composition. The beauty of the music and the ingenuity of the characters make “Agrippina” an unforgettable experience for all opera lovers.