Monteverdi's L'Incoronazione di Poppea - 30.09.17 at 6.00 p.m.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Monteverdi's L'Incoronazione di Poppea with the period group La Venexiana conducted by Davide Pozzi in a performance taken from this year's Schwetzingen Festival, in Germany. Based on historical characters, the opera tells the story of how Poppea, mistress of the Roman Emperor Nero, manages to be crowned empress, in a tale of seduction, adultery and treason. The mezzo-soprano Giuseppina Bridelli is the emperor Nerone and the soprano Emanuela Galli sings the title role. Andrew McGregor presents, with commentary by Dr. Hannah French.

Nerone ..... Giuseppina Bridelli (Mezzo-soprano)
Mercurio, Littore ..... Davide Benetti (Bass)
Poppea ..... Emanuela Galli (Soprano)
Ottavia ..... Xenia Meijer (Mezzo-soprano)
Seneca ..... Salvo Vitale (Bass)
Lucano ..... Luca Dordolo (Tenor)
Virtu, Damigella ..... Vittoria Giacobazzi (Soprano)
Amore, Valletto ..... Lucia Cortese (Soprano)
Nutrice ..... Alessio Tosi (Tenor)
Arnalta .....Alberto Allegrezza (Tenor)
Soldato pretoriano ..... Massimo Altieri (Tenor)
Fortuna, Drusilla ..... Silvia Rosato (Soprano)
Ottone ..... Raffaele Pé (Counter-tenor)
Soldato pretoriano, Liberto ..... Riccardo Pisani (Tenor)

La Venexiana
Davide Pozzi (Director).

[doversoul1]

6.00 pm today. Twice BaL winner (iirc). Very much looking forward to it.

[MickyD]

I wonder if they will take the final duet at that very unusual pace as on their recording for Glossa? It's interesting, but not sure that it's what I'd look for in a library version. Gabriel Garrido's version hits the spot for me.

[doversoul1]

I very much enjoyed this. Talking to Andrew McGregor in the interval, Hannah French said how period performance had become confident. La Venexiana is far too well established to say their performance was confident but I thought it really did sound very convincing. The duet sounded extra elaborate but I didn’t think it went on as long as it was in their CD?

[ardcarp]

Yes La Venexiana are great. At times I found I really needed some visuals to keep me going. C'mon BBC4, let's see it staged. Do I dimly remember a TV version...maybe 25 years ago?

[doversoul1]

Yes La Venexiana are great. At times I found I really needed some visuals to keep me going. C'mon BBC4, let's see it staged. Do I dimly remember a TV version...maybe 25 years ago?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPofx8d1jAs

[ardcarp]

Thanks Dovers! I just need to find another couple of hours to enjoy it.. Sadly working from now on for next six days.