''Germanico'' is a serenata in one act, to a

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...

of unknown authorship, which is ascribed to

George Frideric Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque music, Baroque composer well known for his opera#Baroque era, operas, oratorios, anthems, concerto grosso, concerti grossi, ...

on the sole source, a copyist's manuscript in the library of the Conservatorio Luigi Cherubini in Florence. The ascription to Handel, "del sig. Hendl", is in the same hand that copied the music, suggesting it was contemporary with the writing of the score. It was discovered in 2007 by the conductor and scholar Ottaviano TeneraniGeorg Friedrich Händel, ''Germanico''
and has been recorded by Deutsche Harmonia Mundi (EAN 886978604521). Probably spurious, the work is said by its discoverers to date from the earliest phase of Handel's sojourn in Italy, probably around 1708, leading to claims that it was Handel's first Italian opera. Despite the division into two acts, the work is described on the manuscript as a serenata, and it lacks the drama of conventional

opera seria ''Opera seria'' (; plural: ''opere serie''; usually called ''dramma per musica'' or ''melodramma serio'') is an Italian musical term which refers to the noble and "serious" style of Italian opera that predominated in Europe from the 1710s to abo ...

. Instead it is a work of rejoicing and prophecy, based around the historical figure of

Germanicus Germanicus Julius Caesar (24 May 15 BC – 10 October AD 19) was an ancient Roman general, known for his campaigns in Germania. The son of Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia the Younger, Germanicus was born into an influential branch of the Patric ...

and his victory over the German chieftain

Arminius Arminius ( 18/17 BC – 21 AD) was a chieftain of the Germanic Cherusci tribe who is best known for commanding an alliance of Germanic tribes at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD, in which three Roman legions under the command of ge ...

. Another character is Germanico's wife Agrippina the Elder – they were the parents of

Agrippina the Younger Julia Agrippina (6 November AD 15 – 23 March AD 59), also referred to as Agrippina the Younger, was Roman empress from 49 to 54 AD, the fourth wife and niece of Emperor Claudius. Agrippina was one of the most prominent women in the Julio-Claud ...

, who is the central protagonist of Handel's later Italian opera ''

Agrippina Agrippina is an ancient Roman cognomen and a feminine given name. People with either the cognomen or the given name include: Cognomen Relatives of the Roman general Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa: * Vipsania Agrippina (36 BC–20 AD), first wife of th ...

'' of 1710.

References

External links

"Handel – True or False?"
''Opera Today'' (31 May 2011) *, Il Rossignolo {{Authority control Operas by George Frideric Handel Italian-language operas 1708 operas Operas Operas based on real people Operas set in antiquity Operas set in Italy Operas set in Germany Operas set in the 1st century Operas set in ancient Rome Cultural depictions of Germanicus