The Coronation of Poppea by Claudio Monteverdi, Hackney Empire, London E8

3***: Clare Colvin.

The greatest of Claudio Monteverdi’s operas, L’Incoronazione di Poppea combines comedy and historical drama in an extraordinary masterpiece that remains as relevant today as at its premiere in 1643. Venetian audiences would have enjoyed the satirical tale of sex and murder where the wicked and amoral achieve their desires to the most sublime score ever composed. Many of the audience were also aware that in reality Poppea’s crowning moment of glory as Empress to the psychopath Roman Emperor Nero was cut short by her death not long afterwards, allegedly due to domestic violence.

Robin Norton-Hale, directing her first production as General Director of English Touring Opera, has shone a modernising light on the updated version by librettist Helen Eastman which brings The Coronation of Poppea into present day mode, adapted t from the original, brilliant libretto of Venetian poet Giovanni Francesco Busenello. Set and costume designer Basia Binkowska has created a pleasantly clean-cut, abstract set of geometric shapes. From the upper storey in the Prologue the goddesses of Virtue and Fortune argue the odds with Keith Pun’s God of Love as to their dominance before the first scene where Otton (Fergal Mostyn-Williams) discovers Nero’s bodyguards asleep on duty outside Poppea’s house - thus learning of his lover’s opportunistic change of heart.

As seems increasingly popular nowadays, ETO’s Nero is sung by a mezzo-soprano, here with mezzo Martha Jones. She comes across with live-wire principal boy-like glamour, and indulges in a bit of transgenderism with cross-dressing soldier Lucano (Zahid Siddiqui) when Poppea’s not around to satisfy. Welsh soprano Jessica Cale is an assured and dominant Poppea, scornful of her nurse Arnalta’s (Amy J Payne) passionate warning against mixing with the rich and powerful. As does happen when Nero’s about-to-be-dumped wife Ottavia (Kezia Bienek) orders a horrified Otton to murder Poppea while she’s asleep - a fate averted only by the ever alert God of Love. Bass Trevor Eliot Bowes is impressive as Seneca, Nero’s tutor and central victim of Poppea’s political schemes, as he follows the example of the ancient Greek stoics in obeying Nero’s command to a blood-letting suicide. Finally Otton, his fellow conspirator Drusilla (Elizabeth Karani), and Ottavia are exiled, and we come to the pure emotion of the final duet between Nero and Poppea “Pur ti miro”, that Love conquers all.

The orchestra under conductor Yshani Perinpanayagam gives a measured performance that occasionally lacks pace, and the singers seem at times rather deliberately detached. I’m not sure the odd four letter word of the translation adds anything to the evening but it’s enlightening to hear from a distance of 380 years the people’s opinions on their rulers, as expressed at the time.

At the Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, on 13 October, then touring in repertory with Rossini’s Cinderella Visit Englishtouringopera.org.uk

Conductor Yshani Perinpanayagam

Director Robin Norton-Hale

Set & Costume Designer Basia Binkowska

Lighting Designer Charlie Morgan Jones

Librettist Helen Eastman

Production Pictures Richard Hubert Smith