Nero (Nerone)1. (Monteverdi: L'incoronazione di Poppea). Soprano. Travesti role (but has been sung by a ten.) (originally castrato). Emperor of Rome. Married to Ottavia but in love with Poppea, wife of Ottone. He banishes Ottone who has attempted to kill Poppea and leaves Ottavia in order to marry Poppea and declare her empress. Created (1643) possibly by the castrato Stefano Costa.
2. (Handel: Agrippina). Soprano. Travesti role, (originally castrato). Son of Agrippina by her first marriage. She is ambitious that he should succeed her present husband, Claudio, as Emperor of Rome. Created (1709) by Valeriano Pellegrini (castrato).
