L’incoronazione di Poppea (Glyndebourne), Der Rosenkavalier (English National Opera)
Monteverdi’s last opera L’incoronazione di Poppea was the first opera I saw at Glyndebourne, in 1962. I saw it there again in 1984, once more ‘realised’ by Raymond Leppard, but in a version more complete and somewhat more austerely orchestrated than the first time. And now it has its third production, with Emmanuelle Haim conducting (presumably she is responsible, too, for the fairly lavish orchestration) and Robert Carsen directing. In 1962 the opera itself was a revelation, one of the most thrilling evenings I have spent in an opera house. In 1984, with Peter Hall indulging his wife Maria Ewing, and Leppard having lost the courage of his convictions without acquiring any new ones, it was moderately enjoyable, but altogether without the shock value which is surely an inbuilt feature of it — pace Wagner and the Ring, you can have both Love and Power in unlimited quantities, at least for the duration of the opera.
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