L'incoronazione di Poppea (The Coronation of Poppea) is an opera seria in three acts by Claudio Monteverdi to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Francesco Busenello, based on historical incidents described in the Annals of Tacitus. First performance: Teatro Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Venice, 1642. Opera seria is an Italian musical term which refers to the noble and serious style of Italian opera that predominated in Europe from the 1720s to ca 1770. ... Portrait of Claudio Monteverdi in Venice, 1640, by Bernardo Strozzi. ... A libretto is the complete body of words used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, sacred or secular oratorio and cantata, musical, and ballet. ... Giovanni Francesco Busenello (1598–1659) was an Italian librettist. ... The Annals, or, in Latin, Annales, is a history book by Tacitus covering the reign of the 4 Roman Emperors succeeding to Caesar Augustus. ... Venice (Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venezsia) is the capital of region Veneto, and has a population of 271,663 (census estimate January 1, 2004). ... Events January 4 - Charles I attempts to arrest five leading members of the Long Parliament, but they escape. ...

The opera takes Poppaea Sabina, the second wife of the Roman Emperor Nero, as the heroine of the plot. L'incoronazione di Poppea is Monteverdi's last opera, showing his maturity. The plot by Busenello is a masterwork of irony, on the face of it showing the apparent triumph of Amore over Virtu and Fortuna as promised by the prologue. However, the educated audience of the day would have been aware of the pregnant Poppea's subsequent murder by Nero in a fit of rage. Nero is later succeeded by Ottone as emperor: Poppea could have achieved her objective without tragedy simply by having remained faithful to Ottone in the first place. Poppaea Poppaea Sabina (died 65) was the second wife of the Roman Emperor Nero. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Nero[1] Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (December 15, 37 – June 9, 68), born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, also called Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus, was the fifth and last Roman Emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty (54–68). ... This article is about the type of character. ... Emperor Otho. ...

It is believed that the opera's florid closing duet between Nerone and Poppea was written not by Monteverdi but by another composer.

Characters

• Principal roles
  • Ottone - Counter-Tenor
  • Poppea - Mezzo-soprano
  • Emperor Nerone - originally for Castrato; now Tenor or Mezzo-soprano
  • Arnalta, Poppea's nurse - Contralto or Tenor
  • Empress Ottavia - Mezzo-soprano
  • Seneca - Bass
  • Drusilla - Soprano
• Minor roles
  • Fortuna, a goddess - Mezzo-soprano
  • Virtù, a goddess - Mezzo-soprano
  • Amore, a god - Soprano
  • Two soldiers - Tenor
  • Valletto - Tenor
  • Nurse - Contralto
  • Pallade - Soprano
  • Damigella - Soprano
  • Mercurio - Tenor
  • Liberto - Tenor
  • Lucano - Tenor
• Other
  • Lictor - Bass
  • Friends, consults, tribunes, lictors, servants, soldiers - Chorus

A Countertenor is an adult male singer who uses the falsetto part of his voice more than usual to sing a higher range than the typical adult male voice. ... A mezzo-soprano (meaning medium soprano in Italian) is a female singer with a range usually extending from the A below middle C to the F an eleventh above middle C. Mezzo-sopranos generally have a darker (or lower) vocal tone than sopranos, and their vocal range is between that... A castrato is a male soprano, mezzo-soprano, or alto voice produced either by castration of the singer before puberty or who, because of an endocrinological condition, never reaches sexual maturity. ... In music, a tenor is a male singer with a high vocal range. ... A mezzo-soprano (meaning medium soprano in Italian) is a female singer with a range usually extending from the A below middle C to the F an eleventh above middle C. Mezzo-sopranos generally have a darker (or lower) vocal tone than sopranos, and their vocal range is between that... In music, an alto is a singer with a vocal range somewhere between a tenor and a soprano. ... In music, a tenor is a male singer with a high vocal range. ... Octavia was the name of three women of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty of ancient Rome: two were sisters of Augustus Caesar, and the younger was the daughter of Claudius and wife of Nero. ... A mezzo-soprano (meaning medium soprano in Italian) is a female singer with a range usually extending from the A below middle C to the F an eleventh above middle C. Mezzo-sopranos generally have a darker (or lower) vocal tone than sopranos, and their vocal range is between that... Bust, traditionally thought to be Seneca, now identified by some as Hesiod. ... A basso (or bass) is a male singer who sings in the lowest vocal range of the human voice. ... Look up soprano in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Fortuna governs the circle of the four stages of life, the Wheel of Fortune, in a manuscript of Carmina Burana In Roman mythology, Fortuna (equivalent to the Greek goddess Tyche) was the personification of luck, hopefully of good luck, but she could be represented veiled and blind, as modern depictions... A mezzo-soprano (meaning medium soprano in Italian) is a female singer with a range usually extending from the A below middle C to the F an eleventh above middle C. Mezzo-sopranos generally have a darker (or lower) vocal tone than sopranos, and their vocal range is between that... A mezzo-soprano (meaning medium soprano in Italian) is a female singer with a range usually extending from the A below middle C to the F an eleventh above middle C. Mezzo-sopranos generally have a darker (or lower) vocal tone than sopranos, and their vocal range is between that... Look up soprano in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In music, a tenor is a male singer with a high vocal range. ... In music, a tenor is a male singer with a high vocal range. ... In music, an alto is a singer with a vocal range somewhere between a tenor and a soprano. ... Look up soprano in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up soprano in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In music, a tenor is a male singer with a high vocal range. ... In music, a tenor is a male singer with a high vocal range. ... In music, a tenor is a male singer with a high vocal range. ... The lictor, derived from the Latin ligare (to bind), was a member of a special class of Roman civil servant, with special tasks of attending magistrates of the Roman Republic and Empire who held imperium. ... A basso (or bass) is a male singer who sings in the lowest vocal range of the human voice. ...

Plot

Time: The mid-1st century.

Place: Rome.

Nickname: The Eternal City Motto: SPQR: Senatus PopulusQue Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area    - City 1285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban...

Prologue

Virtù and Fortuna argue, each claiming to be a more important goddess. Both yield to Amore, who vows to prove his superiority.

Act I

After a prologue sung by the mythological characters, Act I begins with Ottone arriving at Poppea's house at daybreak, and retreating in dismay after he sees Nero's guards outside it. In an interesting alba, the guards curse military life and exchange scurrilous gossip about Poppea's scheming. This is a vivid prelude to the first of the opera's several steamy love scenes. Poppea, having left Ottone who still loves her, is now with the Emperor Nerone. Nerone and Poppea part tenderly. Arnalta warns Poppea to be careful for the empress knows of her husband's strayings. Ottavia becomes upset by the way she is treated. Seneca consoles her and pleads with Nerone on her behalf. Nerone promises Poppea that she will be Empress. Seneca tries to show Nerone the wrongness of what Nerone is doing. Nerone becomes angry and orders Seneca's death. After he sees that Poppea does not love him, but only wants power, Ottone courts Drusilla. Valletto courts Damigella.

Act II

Seneca carries out his own death order and kills himself. Nerone is elated by the death and by Poppea's beauty. Ottavia orders Ottone to kill Poppea. He disguises himself, after borrowing Drusilla's cloak, but Amore prevents him from killing his former lover. Drusilla, trying to save Ottone, confesses and is arrested for the plot. Ottone, having heard everything, comes forward and tells Nerone the truth. Nerone decides to spare their lives, although they are banished. Now, Nerone decides to finally banish Ottavia and make Poppea his bride. Nerone invites Poppea to the throne. Poppea is crowned empress.

Noted arias

• "Solitudine amata" (Seneca)
• "Disprezzata regina" (Ottavia)
• "Oblivion soave" (Arnalta)
• "Felice cor mio" (Drusilla)

External links

• Libretto (in Italian) on Karadar
• Description of the opera on Allmusic