Foto: Marta Syrko

Dutch National Opera

Agrippina

Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759)

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Dates

13-28 Jan 2024

Location

Dutch National Opera & Ballet, Main Stage

Running time

3:55, incl. 1 interval

Tickets

From € 22

In the clutches of a power-hungry empress

Nero’s mother Agrippina will do everything she can to overthrow the Roman emperor Claudius and put her son in power. This Baroque opera about huge ambitions, political intrigue and the crooked path to power is one of Handel’s strongest early works.

Photo: Marta Syrko

In the clutches of a power-hungry empress

“This work has sensuality and power, the most thrilling ingredients you could want from an opera”, says stage director Barrie Kosky. He has a gift for presenting true-to-life characters who tread a fine line between irony and seriousness. The stylish decor was designed by Rebecca Ringst, who won Designer of the Year at the 2019 International Opera Awards.

Successful tradition

Dutch National Opera has a long and successful tradition of performing Handel’s work. Ariodante, Jephtha, Rodelinda and Giulio Cesare have all featured on the programme in recent years. However, Agrippina has never before been performed at DNO. The musical direction for this first production is in the hands of Handel specialist Ottavio Dantone, who will be making his debut as a conductor at Dutch National Opera. His own prize-winning Baroque orchestra Accademia Bizantina will be taking their seats in the orchestra pit.

The acclaimed mezzo-soprano Stéphanie d’Oustrac will be performing the role of the empress Agrippina for the first time, after her performances in DNO productions L’étoile and Idomeneo. D’Oustrac shines alongside up-and-coming countertenor John Holiday (Nerone), who previously sang in DNO’s We Shall Not Be Moved, and soprano Ying Fang (Poppea), who has become a firm favourite with Amsterdam audiences.

Start of ticket sales

General ticket sales for Agrippina start on 24 August 2023 at 12.00 midday. Want to make sure you don’t miss this moment? Then sign up for the ticket alert, and we’ll send you a reminder as soon as ticket sales begin.

Performance information

Opera in three acts
Sung in Italian

Libretto Vincenzo Grimani

Musical direction  Ottavio Dantone
Stage direction  Barrie Kosky
Set design  Rebecca Ringst
Costume design  Klaus Bruns
Lighting design  Joachim Klein
Dramaturgy  Nikolaus Stenitzer

Agrippina  Stéphanie d’Oustrac
Nerone  John Holiday
Poppea  Ying Fang
Claudio  Gianluca Buratto
Ottone  Tim Mead
Narciso  Jake Ingbar*

Orchestra Accademia Bizantina

* Dutch National Opera Studio

Coproduction with Bayerische Staatsoper (Munich), Royal Opera House (London) and Hamburgische Staatsoper

SENSUALITY, POWER AND BAROQUE

Scene Agrippina - The Royal Opera (2019) | Photo: Bill Cooper (ROH)

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General ticket sales start on 24 August 2023 at 12.00 midday.

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Accademia Bizantina Orchestra

The Italian ensemble Accademia Bizantina was founded in 1983 to play music ‘like a large string quartet’. Since 1996, the ensemble has developed into a force to be reckoned with in baroque music, and in 2021 it was nominated Orchestra of the Year by the British magazine Gramaphone. The ensemble is equally at home in the opera house and the concert hall. It recently released its first production under its own label, Rinaldo by George Frideric Handel. The orchestra is known for the chamber music ambience of its performances. This season, Accademia Bizantina will perform for the first time with Dutch National Opera in Agrippina.