SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Cast:

Agrippina: Ann Hallenberg.
Poppea: Klara Ek.
Nerone: Roberta Invernizzi.
Ottone: Xavier Sábata.
Claudio: Umberto Chiummo.
Pallante: Rafaele Costantini.
Narciso: Antonio Giovannini.
Lesbo: Matteo Ferrara.

2009 commemorates the 250th anniversary of the death of Handel and has become a year in which almost all his operas and oratorios are being performed. A few days ago Bilbao had William Christie with Susanna and a few weeks back we were offered Theodora at the Teatro Real : now we have Agrippina.

Alan Curtis probably chose this opera because this year is also the 300^th anniversary of its premiere at Teatro Malibran in Venice. It is more debatable, however, to offer Agrippina only in a concert version. First of all, this is a real opera rather than an opera/oratorio which has a libretto that demands to be performed on stage. On the other hand though, there are quite a few staged productions available already which was not what the case with either Susanna or Theodora. Either way, for most people this was the first ever Agrippina at the Teatro Real.

Agrippina is the second opera that Handel wrote during his first stay in Italy and is based on the history of Agrippina, wife of Emperor Claudius and Nero’s mother, and narrates the story of her intrigues to have her son installed on the Roman throne. Cardinal Vincenzo Grimani wrote one of the best librettos in the history of opera, which is full of irony, humor and double meanings. Handel composed a very appropriate score for this semi - seria (or semi- buffa) plot borrowing from himself some passages from his other operas and oratorios, as was often the case at the time. In particular music from “Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno” and from his first Italian opera, Rodrigo, are both present in Agrippina.

Alan Curtis and his Complesso Barocco come back to the Teatro Real, after their visit last February with Tolomeo another Handel work. This time they have also completed a short tour which began last September in Milan and Brescia followed by performances in Vienna.

Alan Curtis seems to me to be a great musicologist and an outstanding harpsichord player. However, I do not have the same feeling about his capacity as conductor. Curtis's executions are always more than correct, but I always found him a little short of the spark needed to light the flame of enthusiasm in the audience. Among his undoubtedly great assets though is having formed a truly excellent orchestra, Il Complesso Barocco, one of the best today in this repertoire. The vocal casting was fine as a whole, although with a couple of minor exceptions.

The best by far came from Swedish mezzo soprano Ann Hallenberg as Agrippina. She knows the part to perfection, to the point of not using a score. It was a real pity that this was a concert performance, since her abilities on stage are also first-rate. She had come to Madrid from Venice, where she sang the same role at the Teatro Malibran a few days before. This was an outstanding interpretation both as singer and actress. Another Swedish singer, the soprano Klara EK who sang Poppea should also be mentioned also, though at slightly a lower level. She is light-lyric soprano with a smallish but pleasant voice who was particularly comfortable in the passages needing vocal agility.

The character of Nero was written for a castrato and here was sung by Italian soprano Roberta Invernizzi, who was at her best in the aria “Come nube che fugge dal vento”. Claudio is a role for a basso buffo. Umberto Chiummo is not exactly that, but he was certainly very adequate. The countertenor Xabier Sábata replaced Iestyn Davies as Ottone. He is a good singer with a voice although not truly outstanding. He was good in coloratura and was an expressive singer.

Of the remaining characters, all of a lesser relevance, Matteo Ferrara was a decent and funny Lesbo, while Antonio Giovannini offered a small voice as Narciso and Rafaele Costantini came across as an immature singer as Pallante.

The Teatro Real has included this concert in its season subscription, so that there is no problem at the box office. In my opinion though 127 euros for this concert is far from reasonable. There were more than a few numerous desertions after the intermission. At the end the audience gave a warm reception to all the artists and Mr. Curtis offered the final number of the opera as an encore.

José M Irurzun