Agrippina condotta a morire
Cantata for soprano, 2 violins and continuo
[other instruments ad libitum]
Program Notes by Martin Pearlman
Agrippina, the mother of the emperor Nero, was put to death by order of her son in 59 A. D. Through marriage, politics and poison she had managed to place her son on the throne, but after further intrigues, relations between mother and son soured, and she found herself the intended victim of various "accidents." The cantata Agrippina condotta a morire (Agrippina led to her death) is a dramatic monologue, in which she vacillates between cursing Nero in angry arias and asking in despair how her own son could order her death. Ultimately she resigns herself to her fate, as the music ends quietly in a recitative.
This is a youthful work dating from about 1708. Handel wrote it in Italy during the apprentice years that he spent there before going to England, years in which he studied the latest Italian styles at their source. In those years, between the ages of 21 and 25, he composed over a hundred chamber cantatas, as well as other works. Also written during this period was his opera Agrippina, inspired by the same character. The librettist of the cantata is unknown.
The work is scored for solo soprano with two treble instruments and continuo, but the score does not specify the instruments that are to play the treble lines. The writing in those upper lines is clearly for violins, but that leaves open the possibility of playing the work with only two violins and bass instruments or with multiple violins. There is also the possibility of adding a wind instrument to double the violins in some of the arias.
Boston Baroque Performances
Agrippina condotta a morire
December 31, 2008 & January 1, 2009
Sanders Theater, Cambridge, MA
Martin Pearlman, conductor
Soloist:
Kristen Watson, soprano
December 31, 2001 & January 1, 2002
Sanders Theater, Cambridge, MA
Martin Pearlman, conductor
Soloist:
Sharon Baker, soprano
September 30, 1994
Harvard Business School, Boston, MA
Martin Pearlman, conductor
November 26, 1990
University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH
Martin Pearlman, conductor
November 16, 1990
NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston, MA
Martin Pearlman, conductor
April 23, 1988
Strawbery Banke, Portsmouth, MA
Martin Pearlman, conductor
October 4, 1985
NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston, MA
Martin Pearlman, conductor
September 27, 1985
Bates College, Lewiston, ME
Martin Pearlman, conductor
March 5, 1985
Baylor University, Waco, TX
Martin Pearlman, conductor
February 26, 1985
Troy Music Hall, Troy, NY
Martin Pearlman, conductor
February 23, 1985
Palace Civic Center, Lorain, OH
Martin Pearlman, conductor
February 22, 1985
Olean High School Auditorium, Olean, NY
Martin Pearlman, conductor