Monteverdi's 'Poppea' Shines in Flawless Drottningholmsteatern Production

Drottningholmsteatern is staging Claudio Monteverdi's "L'incoronazione di Poppea," a work from 1643, presenting it as a luminous interpretation of a Baroque masterpiece. The production is helmed by baroque specialist Benjamin Lazar, who directs what is described as a flawless staging.

The opera, Monteverdi's last, presents significant challenges for the artistic team. They must contend with multiple source materials and make crucial decisions regarding necessary cuts and instrumentation. The libretto by Giovanni Francesco Busenello also includes buffa scenes added in a later manuscript.

Francesco Corti conducts the Drottningholmsteaterns orkester. The creative team, including scenographer Christer Nilsson, lighting designer Christophe Naillet, and costume designer Alain Blanchot, works to bring this complex opera to life. The production grapples with choices about accompaniment and the degree to which vocal lines should be supported, as these details are not explicitly written in the score.