She always knew what she wanted and would not shrink from murder to get it. Now Agrippina is empress and once again faces the choice of whom she must sacrifice to obtain the imperial title for her son Nero. But Agrippina comes across an opponent worthy of her in the equally ambitious Poppaea…

Handel’s Agrippina is to be performed on the stage in Brno for the first time, though the outstanding Baroque orchestra Collegium 1704 is returning to the Janáček Theatre to perform here for a third time following the extremely successful Alcina and The Marriage of Figaro. The audience is not faced with a difficult choice then – the combination of Handel’s opera, Collegium 1704 under the baton of Václav Luks, and the ensemble at Brno Opera – it cannot be missed! Political intrigue is a topical subject in every era, and it is also an ideal subject for an opera if people in love get caught up in the middle of it. Cardinal Grimani added a political satire full of irony to the libretto, and George Fridric Handel gave the music drama, humour, despair and love. Agrippina received its premiere in Venice in 1709 and immediately became the success of the season and Handel’s first masterpiece. And it is no wonder – every musical number is a typical Handelian musical hit portraying the individual characters, taking in Agrippina, who is capable of anything, her childish son Nero, the ageing emperor Claudius, the little intriguer Poppaea and the honourable Otho, in such vivid colours that you feel you might meet them on the street in front of the theatre. The title role is to be played by Pavla Vykopalová, who celebrated great success with Alcina, while South African countertenor Christopher Ainslie and Czech countertenor Vojtěch Pelka will be appearing here for the first time.

Premiere on 11 April 2026 at the Janáček Theatre

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