Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

The Coronation of Poppea

In the last of our programmes about Monteverdi in Venice, Donald Macleod looks at the composer's final masterwork, the thrillingly immoral Coronation of Poppea.

In the last of this week's programmes about Monteverdi in Venice, Donald Macleod looks at the composer's last masterwork - the thrillingly immoral Coronation of Poppea.

In his seventies, Monteverdi was coaxed back to writing for the operatic stage, and had a hit with The Return of Ulysses to his Homeland. To satisfy the demand for yet more, he wrote what many consider his masterpiece, The Coronation of Poppea, the world's first opera to be based on a real historical incident, and featuring real people on stage. The gossipy, scurrilous tone of much of the opera chimes very well with modern audiences, and seems to have done so with Monteverdi's contemporaries too. Today, we hear passages taken from a classic recording, conducted by John Eliot Gardiner, given in London's Queen Elizabeth Hall on the South Bank, in 1993.

We end the week with an unbridled, joyous recording of one of his best loved duets - the wonderful "Zefiro torna" from the ensemble L'Arpeggiata.

1 hour

Last on

Fri 23 May 2014 18:30

Music Played

  • Claudio Monteverdi

    L' Incoronazione di Poppea - opera in a prologue and 3 acts - Act 2 Scene 3

    Singer: Francesco Ellero d’Artegna. Singer: Roberto Balconi. Singer: Mark Tucker. Singer: Julian Clarkson. Orchestra: English Baroque Soloists. Conductor: Sir John Eliot Gardiner.
    • Archiv 447882.
    • Archiv.
    • 6.
  • Claudio Monteverdi

    L' Incoronazione di Poppea - opera in a prologue and 3 acts - Act 3 final scenes

    Singer: Sylvia McNair. Singer: Dana Hanchard. Singer: Anne Sofie von Otter. Singer: Francesco Ellero d’Artegna. Singer: Mark Tucker. Singer: Marinella Pennicchi. Singer: Constanze Backes. Orchestra: English Baroque Soloists. Conductor: Sir John Eliot Gardiner.
    • ARCHIV : 447 088-2-.
    • ARCHIV.
    • 7-10.
  • Claudio Monteverdi

    L' Incoronazione di Poppea - opera in a prologue and 3 acts - Act 1 Scene 3

    Singer: Sylvia McNair. Singer: Dana Hanchard. Singer: Anne Sofie von Otter. Singer: Francesco Ellero d’Artegna. Singer: Mark Tucker. Singer: Marinella Pennicchi. Singer: Constanze Backes. Orchestra: English Baroque Soloists. Conductor: Sir John Eliot Gardiner.
    • ARCHIV : 447 088-2-.
    • ARCHIV.
    • 4.
  • Claudio Monteverdi

    L' Incoronazione di Poppea - opera in a prologue and 3 acts - Prologue

    Singer: Anne Sofie von Otter. Singer: Catherine Bott. Singer: Marinella Pennicchi. Orchestra: English Baroque Soloists. Conductor: Sir John Eliot Gardiner.
    • ARCHIV : 447 088-2-.
    • ARCHIV.
    • 1.
  • Claudio Monteverdi

    Zefiro torna - madrigal for 5 voices & bc

    Singer: Núria Rial. Singer: Philippe Jaroussky. Ensemble: L’Arpeggiata. Director: Christina Pluhar.
    • VIRGIN CLASSICS : 50999-23614024.
    • VIRGIN CLASSICS.
    • 16.

Broadcasts

  • Fri 23 May 2014 12:00
  • Fri 23 May 2014 18:30

Vaughan Williams Today

Vaughan Williams Today

Programmes, concerts and features celebrating Vaughan Williams's 150th anniversary.

Beethoven Unleashed – the box set

Beethoven Unleashed – the box set

The complete set of Radio 3 Beethoven Unleashed podcasts, with Donald Macleod.

What was really wrong with Beethoven?

What was really wrong with Beethoven?

Georgia Mann and neurosurgeon Henry Marsh examine the composer's numerous health problems

Composers A to Z

Composers A to Z

Visit the extensive audio archive of Radio 3 programmes about Composers and their works.

Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week

Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week

The production team reflects on 5 of Donald Macleod’s best stories from the last 20 years

Five reasons why we love Parry's Jerusalem

What is the strange power of Jerusalem which makes strong men weep?

A man out of time – why Parry's music and ideas were at odds with his image...

The composer of Jerusalem was very far from the conservative figure his image suggests.

Composer Help Page

Find resources and contacts for composers from within the classical music industry.