Irony and Borrowing in Handel’s ‘Agrippina’

Handel and Grimani’s ¹ Agrippina is striking for several reasons. The libretto is among the most convincing of all the composer’s dramatic works. It presents interesting, sharply-drawn characters and combines intrigue and irony, comedy and pathos in a tightly-knit, well-paced plot. The music is the last, crowning achievement of Handel’s Italian sojourn. It is rich and varied, impressive in its melodic wealth and compositional detail, convincing in its characterization and, as we shall see, brilliantly responsive to the challenge of the libretto.