Monteverdi, L’incoronazione di Poppea: Benjamin Britten International Opera School at the Britten Theatre, RCM / Michael Rosewell (conductor). 25.11.06 (ED)

 

 

Readers of these pages will know that over the years we have come to expect great things from the RCM Benjamin Britten International Opera School – and in no respect did this production disappoint. All the more welcome is this production’s success since it marks the twentieth anniversary of the RCM’s Britten Theatre, surely one of the most intimate opera houses in existence. Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea is a strange work to choose to celebrate the occasion you might think, but conductor Michael Rosewell apparently was fairly insistent about doing it, and it is not hard to tell why.

 

L’incoronazione di Poppea is a work that has everything going for it in the plot: power struggles, intrigue, sex… What more could one ask for? Yet, Monteverdi’s music some might think to be out of step with such openly dramatic elements, given that these days we are so conditioned to interpreting drama in an over-dramatic way. Paul Curran’s production made the point that subtlety can be dramatic in its own way when mixed intelligently with other interpretational touches. Thus the time setting was discretely updated and costumes were stylish yet formal alongside the glamorous and revealing. Most impressive though in his visual conception for the work was to employ grisaille room interiors against which splashes of colour – yards of red satin adorning Poppea’s bed or the red and gold thrones that dominated formal palace rooms – could have their full impact. Directorially too, much invention was employed to fit the action to the music, so that Monteverdi’s long florid lines were interpreted with purpose.

 

Musically the evening was a triumph for the BBIOS. Michael Rosewell’s affection for the score was evident throughout, finding a judicious mix of tempi and sonorities to suit the changing moods of the drama. An orchestra (2 violins, theorbos, harpsichords, recorders, cornets and 1 viola, cello and chamber organ) of smaller size than is usually employed in the Britten Theatre suited the acoustic well and gave vital leanness to the instrumental lines.

 

Pumeza Matshikiza assumed the title role with confidence. We first encountered her in bed with the Emperor Nerone, played by Huw Llywelyn. Their tremendously contemporary embodiment of the roles, an operatic Posh and Becks if you will, carried great fervour about it. Vocally they were well suited to each other. If something in the partnership was to be found lacking it was in that Poppea’s wrongdoing was not strongly enough realised to make the ensuing drama seem totally plausible. Dawid Kimberg, as Ottone – Poppea’s wronged lover – gave a strong portrayal of the role, being as strong an actor as he was incisive a singer. Of the other major main parts – all sung well – Kim Sheehan’s Drusilla stood out for its sensitivity of textual interpretation.

 

Of course, you can’t have opera without fantasy, and Monteverdi provides opportunities for fantasy to run riot by framing the main characters as the plaything of the Gods. Rita Therese Ziem, Ida Falk Winland and Eliana Pretorian made for vocally striking incarnations, matched by the visual appearance. Pretorian spread vocal sparkle throughout the evening, and neatly doubled as a sex-obsessed valet in Act II along the way, she showed what an adaptable, observant actress and singer she is.

 

Forget that Monteverdi might be dull and irrelevant for today’s world; that could not be further from the truth. The BBIOS proved it and with a production to rival any world class opera house at its best. In fact, in my view it is the best production I have seen all year.   

 

Evan Dickerson