Review Roundup: Metropolitan Opera Presents Handel's AGRIPPINA - What Did the Critics Think?

In the Met's first-ever performances of Agrippina, Handel's satire of sex and power politics, Sir David McVicar reconceives a production he originally created for the Monnaie in Brussels in 2000, evoking a scandalous world in which the Roman Empire never fell but simply kept going right up to the present.

Holding a distorted mirror to contemporary society (as Handel did when he staged this opera), the production presents the corrupt intrigues of the political classes, brought to life by Joyce DiDonato as the power-hungry empress Agrippina.

Harry Bicket conducts Sir David McVicar's wry new production, which gives this Baroque black comedy a politically charged, modern updating.

The Met presents Agrippina through March 7. For more information, visit https://www.metopera.org/season/2019-20-season/agrippina/.

Let's see what the critics are saying...

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Zachary Woolfe, The New York Times: After a general sense of vocal unease in the first half, the performance seemed to settle in, gaining some confidence after intermission. But even then, the cast didn't fully meet the virtuosic and sensual demands of this music. The singers were fearless on Thursday, but that's not all they need to be. That this "Agrippina" was nevertheless a success - indeed, a devilish delight - is because of Mr. Bicket and Mr. McVicar. And, of course, Handel. Yes, he died more than 250 years ago, but at the Met he seems more vital than ever.

George Grella, New York Classical Review: Bicket led a pared-down orchestra, augmented with lute, theorbo, and cellist David Heiss in the continuo group. Bicket is the leading conductor of Handel's operas and a frequent collaborator with DiDonato. With modern strings and winds, the orchestral played sharp and lively phrases all evening. There was some fleeting messy moments in Act III, but in this fun and unexpectedly moving night at the Met, all was forgiven.

Christopher Corwin, Parterre: Big-house Handel almost inevitably involves making allowances given that early 18th century opera was never meant to be performed in a 4000-seat theater. On a purely musical level, the Met's new Agrippina does a pretty decent job for Handel although the cuts to keep the running time to around three-and-a-half hours made a muddle of the third act. Many attendees Thursday evening appeared to be having a good time and hearty laughs were regularly heard but McVicar's nth iteration of the opera lessens its stinging effect considerably in favor of cheap, crowd-pandering antics. While one is grateful to have such a terrific work finally at the Met in 2020, one wishes that it had gotten the chance in its 1998 guise instead.

David Salazar, Opera Wire: This was just the opening night and it was clear that this production was intensely rehearsed and conceived by all of the participants. There is tremendous passion and fastidiousness in the details onstage (of which I didn't even describe a sizeable percentage) and is equally infectious for anyone witnessing it unfold. And the best news? It will probably only get better through the ensuing performances, which means that anyone heading to New York in the next month should be getting their tickets right now.

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