L'INCORONAZIONE DI POPPEA

The allegorical figures of love (Amor), virtue (Virtù) and fortune (Fortuna) fight for supremacy over humanity. They all believe that they have great influence, but only one knows that it alone exercises total power: Love. To prove this, Love demonstrates the rise of the courtesan Poppea to become Empress of Rome. Poppea is the mistress of Emperor Nero, but she wants to reach the top through love. Only: "Love" is the wrong word here; rather, it is the erotic driving force with which ruthless manipulation and power are exercised. Whoever loves has lost, and whoever stands in the way of Poppea's interests is ruthlessly swept aside – Nero's wife Ottavia as well as the teacher and philosopher Seneca, who dares to criticise Nero's way of life. Pleasurably and without regret, with the most beautiful and passionate music that early Baroque opera has to offer, Poppea and Nero enjoy their victory, which ends in a rapturous love duet that is still one of the most special moments in opera history.

American director Ted Huffman staged Claudio Monteverdi's 17th-century masterpiece with overwhelming success at the 2022 Aix-en-Provence Festival. Now the production, which mirrors our own times in the lustful fable of immorality and decadence, is coming to Oper Köln. The conductor is baroque specialist George Petrou, who conducted "Miranda" in 2022.23. A new production by the Festival Aix-en-Provence in co-production with Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía Valencia, Opéra de Rennes, Opéra de Toulon and Oper Köln.