L’incoronazione di Poppea Opens FRI 2 NOV 8 PM

L’incoronazione di Poppea
an opera by Claudio Monteverdi
with libretto by Giovanni Francesco Busenello

Direction by Luke Fitzgerald (Music) and Sasha Amaya (Stage)

Trinity College Chapel
Cambridge
2 + 3 November 2018 . 20h00
3 November 2018 . 14h30

Nerone, emperor of Rome, is wed to the beautiful and virtuous Ottavia. However, he finds himself besotted with the glorious Poppea, and vows to make her his wife. The pillars of reason, including Seneca, and popular opinion (represented by the disgruntled guards), oppose such an overthrow, but against the desire and cunning generated between the two infatuated lovers, opposition is futile.

Ottone (in historical fact Poppea’s husband but in Busenello’s libretto her rejected lover) also yearns for Poppea, and seeks various ways to entrap her, while remaining immune to the charms of Drusilla, who devotedly dotes on the elegant and just-out-of-reach, if. myopic, Ottone.

The air is rife with advice: Arnalta advises Poppea, Nutrice advises Ottavia, Seneca advises Nerone (unsuccessfully), and the guards advise one another.  Domination rolls like dominos: Nerone dominates Ottavia, Ottavia dominates Ottone, Ottone dominates Drusilla, and, Seneca, Poppea, and Lucano all take their turns wielding Nerone. Most controlling, perhaps, is Amore, who competes with Virtù and Fortuna for supremacy as the sparks of young love fly.

– excerpt from Director’s Note